Misplaced Affections
by Kira Trinity
Summary: HEY ALL!!! So...this is another series...not the one with Tammy....it's in Lily's time so.......whatever...the romantic part with come in part 2 kay? alrighty!!! Answer who i should write about most please! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!
1. Misplaced Affections: Part 1

Misplaced Affections  
  
*~Author's Note~*  
Hey there! Wassup? Anyways...............I had an urge to write about Lily and James or whatever so this explains why I didn't finish my other part. I'm putting romance for my heading...or something and though it's not romantic YET...it's getting there just to let you know...probably in part two of this series. Thank y'all!!! Please, PLEASE review! I need to know if I'm any good at writing.   
  
Disclaimer: No way do any of these characters belong to anyone but J.K. Rowling. (Except for the few characters that I am creating myself)  
  
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PART 1  
  
"Lily! Lily it's time to get up!!!!!" Molly Denton shook her roommates shoulder trying to stir the deeply sleeping girl. Molly was wearing a navy blue, three-quarter-length shirt with a yellow stripe and khakis and had her hair up in a neat ponytail. On her eyelids she had carefully applied a light blue eye shadow.  
  
When her sleeping friend made no reaction, Molly put her hands on her hips reproachfully wondering how to wake her up. "She always did sleep like this. The sleep of the living dead fer Pete's sake." She cupped her hands around her mouth, "LILY CLARK WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!!!" Molly screamed with all her might causing her voice to crack. Lily just rolled over, her flaming auburn hair burying her beautiful face. "Crap! We'll both be late for the Hogwarts Express if you DON'T WAKE UP!" Molly growled slightly thinking about Arthur Weasley. "Damn! I'm not about to miss a whole day spending time with Arthur just cuz you can't wake up," she added softly, her accent was heavy and she flipped her own hair over her shoulder. She bit her lip deep in thought, thinking of possible ways to wake up her live/dead friend. I could......throw her out the window.........she chuckled......naw, James would probably kill me, even if he won't admit his feelings. Wait a second.........I know just how to wake her up. Molly's mouth twitched upwards evilly, her eyebrow cocked at a mischievous angle. Moving close to her roommate's ear, she softly whispered, "James is waiting for you!"  
  
Lily's bright green eyes snapped open and she sat up suddenly, ignoring Molly's shrieks of laughter that followed. "What? What did you say? What? Did I miss something here? James is waiting for me? F-f-for what? Has he been waiting long? Oh dear!"   
  
Lily stared bemusedly at her friend who was now rolling on the floor, on the brink of hysteria, hooting with laughter. Molly pulled herself up again holding her aching stomach.   
  
"Crap, I'm (laughter) laughing (more laughter) t-t-t-too much!!!!!!! Must-stop-hurting-too-much!" Slowly, Molly composed herself. "Man you are so predictable girl. Have you got it baaadddddddd or what!"  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about," Lily replied primly even though she knew exactly what her best friend meant.  
  
"And do you EVER sleep deeply! I could have a full-fledged water fight in here and you would probably sleep through the whole thing!"  
  
Lily waved her hand dismissively and remained uninterested to her sleeping habits and tried to urge her friend to tell her about her recent obsession. "Anyways, tell me later about what I can and can't sleep through later. Why pray tell is James waiting for me? And why do you think I would be interested in that anyways?"  
  
Molly rolled her eyes indiscreetly, "Puh-leeeeze Lily! Do you really think that you can hide your feelings for James under your innocent façade of boredom from your best friend?" She made a slight mocking noise in her throat, waiting for the answer.  
  
Lily smiled. "You always have such a neat way of putting your interrogations," she sighed. "So, you figured me out hmmm?"  
  
"No (word that made Lily grin in surprise) Sherlock!" Molly laughed good-naturedly, "If James wasn't so oblivious he would have known by now too! The same goes for Remus and Sirius! Dull-witted gits! I swear by Merlin that if they try another trick with spiders on ME again they'll regret it. Anyways, have you forgotten? I'd have thought you would have memorized those very words James told you last night!" Lily stared blankly back. "Obviously you don't! Okay......he told us to be ready for Hogsmeade today cuz him an' the guys will be waitin' for us in front of the bus. Remember? We were all going to spend the day at Hogmeade together? As a group! Holy hell! This from a girl who got 115% on her NEWTS!"  
  
"You're so crude Moll! Lighten up," Lily smiled, "I'm half asleep here. And don't think that I don't know your little secret. About your lil' crush on someone whose name starts with an 'A' perhaps?" She smirked.  
  
Molly grabbed the nearest pillow and shoved it in Lily's face, smothering her mouth so she couldn't talk. "Shhhh!!! Idiot! Do ya' think I want the whole world to know? I'm not being obvious like you are so keep it quiet!!"  
  
"Who's going to hear hmm?" Lily asked sounding muffled through the pillow and swatted at it sending it across the room and noticing for the first time another sleeping figure.   
  
"Kalasin Anne!" Molly remarked loudly. Stomping over, heavy-footed, Molly bent over and shook Kally's shoulder's lightly. "Wakey,wakey sleeping ugly!"  
  
Kalasin Watson was anything BUT ugly. She truly looked like a sleeping beauty with her long, raven black tresses fanned out on her pillow and cream-coloured skin, large, bright violet eyes under long dark lashes. Her cheeks were always rosy pink and her face didn't need a touch of makeup and her lips didn't need lipstick because of her natural beauty and luscious red lips. She had the attention of any man she wanted and even those she didn't particularly cared for, including the roguishly handsome Sirius Black. When it came to noticing guys' affections, she was even more oblivious than even James sadly nor did she really care for 'all that love nonsense' as she referred to it. She believed she was too young, way too young to even be able to comprehend what real love was anyways, though she loved the idea of falling in love.  
  
"C'mon girlie! Wake UP!!!"  
  
Kally groaned and pulled a pillow atop her head, blocking out the unwelcome awakening. "Be QUIET Molly! I'm tryin' to sleep here!"  
  
"We've got to go downstairs this instant whether you want to or not! We have to have a whole day with just the gang," she insisted. After a minute when Kally didn't respond at all, Molly proceeded to wake up her friend by turning the mattress over sideways. Kalasin screeched with a large thump on the hard ground. Cursing evilly she got up reluctantly.  
  
"Geez! Can't you let me have one decent nights sleep without being awakened by you? What does a girl got to do around here!"  
  
"Hey! It's not my fault somebody snuck back up at two 0' clock this morning," Molly retorted.  
  
"I had a party to go to! Cut me some slack!"  
  
"Yeah. A party that you went to with Sirius," Lily said giggling while Molly made kissing noises in the background.  
  
"Ah be quiet the two of you! Yes Sirius and I went to a party last night but only as friends," Kally said trying to untangle her hair, "Besides, he has no intention of going out with me anyways. Get off it already!"  
  
" 'Ey hey! What's all the fuss about up here?" A soft voice came from the doorway of the sixth year girl's dorms. A girl with shoulder length blond hair, and about a dozen rings on her fingers, stood indignantly with her hands on her hips and had on a light blue tee-shirt with the word 'Angel' on it in rhinestones and loose blue jeans not to mention she bore a look of pure impatience. "Oh my gawd," she said with an unmistakable American accent, "Don't tell me you're not ready yet! Oh geez! The guys are waiting downstairs for us!"  
  
"Quit your bellyaching Samantha Eleanor Reid! We'll be ready soon enough," Lily said searching for clean socks frantically.  
  
"Don't say my middle name," Sam said sulking.  
  
"Oh hell," Kally exclaimed exasperatedly throwing down her hairbrush with a clatter, "These knots won't ever come out! What do those muggles do without magic I'll never know." She flicked her index finger slightly and muttered, "Distangleisium!" Instantly her hair became perfectly untangled and her normally straight hair was crimped. "Ah! Just the way I like it!" Feeling the eyes of her roommates upon her amazed she pouted, "What are y'all staring at? You said you wanted us to hurry so I did!"  
  
"Ugh! Not fair," Molly complained, collapsing on her own four-poster bed in a heap. "I have to work like a dog to just get decent marks and I still have to use my darn wand," she said throwing up her hands frustrated," And Kally and Lily don't even try and they get the best marks in school and don't even have to use their wands!"  
  
"Not true," Lily said. "I still have to use my wand and I study sometimes!" Samantha snorted in disagreement. "Anyways, I'm almost ready to go guys. I just have to grab my handbag which is...somewhere in this pigsty. Ah heck! Can't you guys clean up for once?" Lily whined. "Now I have to find my socks and my handbag."  
  
"I still have to change," Kally said making a face. "You guys go scurry off downstairs and tell the guys that we'll be ready in five minutes." Seeing the skeptical looks on their faces she added, "Promise! Now go on!"  
  
Samantha sighed dramatically and flounced back out the door followed by Molly who made disapproving clucking noises at them.  
  
"Aren't we lucky," Lily said sarcastically, "We just had to get stuck with the two biggest slobs in Hogwarts! Forget Hogwarts. In all of Britain!" Kally laughed heartily and went back to deciding what to wear.  
  
"Er...seeing that I promised we'd be down in five, do you think anyone would mind if I used magic to change?" Kally asked.  
  
"Not at all Kals!"   
  
"Good!" She then waved her arms once over herself; she uttered a single word with ease, "Changio!" At those words, a lavender, purple patterned, boat cut top with quarter-length sleeves, bell-bottomed jeans that had a hippie fringed end and beige clogs appeared on her slim figure. She gingerly pinned her crimped hair with two bobby pins. "So glad to be a witch!"  
  
Lily meanwhile had found her jean handbag and white socks and was ready to go except her hair was still a mess as it always was. She was enviously watching her stylish friend as she herself got her own dark purple shoulder bag. "You are so lucky! I have absolutely no fashion sense!"  
  
"Nonsense Lil! Absolute gibberish," Kally argued. She considered the emerald green sweater that showed her midriff and the long jean skirt Lily was wearing with the eye of a judge. "That sweater matches your eyes perfectly! I love that outfit, and so will James," she added slyly. Now let me do your hair. We haven't much time left. One minute to be exact."  
  
Lily turned around and sat on her chair facing the vanity mirror that she had gotten from her three best friends and she waited while Kally flipped through a large book of hair spells. She moaned, "You know about my crush on James too?"  
  
"No duh! I'm not stupid you know. You're completely infatuated with the fellow," said Kally while she closed her eyes. "Now be quiet. I have to concentrate." She paused and placed her hands above Lily's head. "Relatium!" Instantly, Lily's auburn hair was swept up into a high bun and some curls were let down around her neck strikingly. Kally gingerly clipped two clips that looked like chopsticks in Lily's hair. "Done," she exclaimed examining her handy work.  
  
Lily looked in the mirror and marveled at how Kally had managed to make her hair look so gorgeous. "It's so beautiful!" She sighed and stood up. "Ugh! How come everyone knows about my crush on James and no one thinks you like Sirius one lil' bit?"  
  
Kally glared at her friend and punched her arm. "Do not Lil! And you know it!"  
  
She grinned, "Sure Kally! Whatever you say, and, OUCH! C'mon, we've got to hurry it up!"  
  
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The two girls started down from the Gryffindor tower at a fast pace, careful not to trip. They ran all the way down to the front of the massive castle where there were students as young as twelve climbing aboard the train to Hogsmeade. Lily slowed down considerably, spying James Potter and Sirius Black waiting for the two. Lily constantly worried that James discovered that she liked him but he was there, grinning at her oblivious as ever. She put her head down blushing madly as Kally ambled in after her bouncing around like a kid. Sirius' mouth had dropped as he stared dumbfounded. When Lily reached where Sirius and James stood, she nudged Sirius hard in the ribs in attempt to jolt him back to reality. Shaking his head slowly, he resumed back to his roguishly mischievous self.   
  
"Ey hey bud! What cha' staring at?" Kally asked, absurdly cheerful, punching Sirius in the arm.  
  
"A prostitute," Sirius replied jokingly holding back a laugh at the sight of Kally's outraged expression.  
  
"Why you........." Kally pounced on Sirius, practically knocking him to the floor poking him in the ribs hard. He grabbed her into a headlock with ease, ruffling her perfect hair.  
  
James shook his head with his handsome laughing eyes twinkling. Lily had almost forgot he was there and he looked straight into her eyes. He gave her a look that made Lily's heart skip a beat and become short of breath. She quickly looked away. Drat! He caught me looking at him! He must think I'm a freak!  
  
"Are you two quite finished yet?" James asked, tired of the play fighting, "I want to get to Hogsmeade today. Plenty of time for romantic endeavors later young lovers." At his last sentence, Kally and Sirius had both broke apart with daggers in both their eyes, glaring at James who had already started to run away.  
  
"Someone definitely wants beetles in his soup tonight," Sirius said, his face slightly flushed, watching James who was still running. "Where does he get those ideas I'll never know," he muttered unconvincingly which didn't fool Lily in the slightest but Kally hadn't even noticed.  
  
"Forget beetles," Kally said, lifting her head up to look at James who was now hiding behind Remus a few feet away and couldn't hear a word they were saying. "Spiders is what we'll get for his soup," she said firmly with an evil glint in her violet eyes. Lily laughed knowing that both mischievous makers meant what they said.  
  
"Oy you lot," a person whose head was sticking out of the train yelled at them, "C'mon and hurry! The train is leaving RIGHT NOW!!!!" The voice came from Samantha who was sick and tired of waiting for them.  
  
"Kill ya' later James," Sirius called to his friend snickering and calmly stepping on the train, pulling Kally by the arms up the stairs. Meanwhile, she was whining all the while telling him to loosen his grip, which he did almost instantly.  
  
"Hurry up James," Lily called. She wasn't about to let James be left back when she so looked forward to spending the day together. Joined by Remus Lupin, one of his first friends from their first year at Hogwarts, James ran towards the train's stairs, his wild, jet-black hair flying about the place from the wind.  
  
"Thanks for the notice Lil'," James said when he caught up, out of breath, Remus panting behind him.   
  
"No problem," Lily said almost inaudibly barely able to breathe properly.  
  
"Is Sammy in there already?" Remus asked inquisitively. It was already very noticeable that he had his eye on the American beauty that had joined two years before. Lily nodded and strode on to the bus to join the rest of the group. James and Remus followed talking animatedly in anticipation about the new broom edition that James had planned on purchasing once he got to Hogsmeade.  
  
"Finally," Molly said in her thick accent. "I thought y'all would never get here!" She was sitting in a red covered seat next to Arthur Weasley who was stuffing his face with a dozen cauldron cakes at a time. Samantha was staring, amazed at how many cakes Arthur could fit into his mouth at one time and leaned her head against Remus' shoulder when he sat down, much to his delight. Sirius sat in the corner with Kally sitting right next to him with her feet on his lap. They played a game of Exploding Snap gambling with a pile of candies.  
  
"Stop cheating Siri," Kally bellowed at the laughing Sirius. "I win!!! I win by default!!!" She proceeded to reach for the pile of treats but was intercepted by Sirius who grabbed both of her hands so she couldn't move them at all.  
  
Lily then closed her ears to them and concentrated on not making a fool of herself in front of James who was asking her if she wanted to share his headphones with him and listen to 'The Lost Wanderers' with him on his disc man. They were a very popular music group in the Wizarding world. She gratefully accepted, not only because she wanted to be as close to James as she could but so she wouldn't have to see Sirius and Kally absently play Exploding Snap not aware of how perfect they would be together.  
  
It's a perfect day already! Lily thought to herself contentedly breathing in James' scent of tangy orange, and she slowly nodded off from lack of sleep, waiting for Hogsmeade to come into view from their train compartment.  
  
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A/N: Alright, alright... I should be working on my other story but I had to work on a James/Lily story because it's soooo cute! They are such a perfect couple eh? Rather, Kalasin and Sirius, but, oh well. Could you guys tell me who I should put the spotlight more on? Sirius/Kally, James/Lily, Arthur/Molly, or Remus/Samantha? But don't be fooled, just because it SAYS they will be together doesn't mean that James will end up with Lily and Kally will end up with Sirius...etc...PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!   
  
*~Ducks N' Daisies~*  
~Kira   
  
  
  



	2. Misplaced Affections: Part 2

Misplaced Affections  
  
*~Author's Note~*  
Heeeeelllooooo!!!!! Thank you to all those lovely people who reviewed my story^_~ Anyways.........actually I didn't know Lily's last name was Evans.........thank you for telling me!! I think I'll keep her name Lily Clark though cuz I don't want to change it. Anyhoo, this is the beginning of my story so I am wondering if I should make the story romantic yet or not. Well, you'll see!!! Enjoy and please review! I see the number of hits for my story and out of 247 only 13 reviewed! I guess I'm not that great huh? Heh heh! Cut me some slack peoples! This is only my third Harry Potter fan fiction! I talk too much! ENJOY!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K Rowling's characters and because of that I am now extremely bitter ^_~   
  
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PART 2  
  
"Lily! Wake up Lily its James. We arrived at Hogwarts!"  
  
Lily's head suddenly jerked off of someone's shoulder. Much to her embarrassment and secret delight that person's shoulder happened to be James'. Behind James stood Kally who was wearing a look of praise on her pretty face and Sirius who was beside her was smirking.  
  
"Let's go already," Samantha grunted exasperatedly frowning and pulling on Remus' arm.  
  
"Yeah c'mon guys," Kally whined, "I want to check out the new sweets at Honeydukes." She twirled her hair in her fingers absently and stared out to the village longingly.  
  
"Not fair yet again!" Lily cried. "Kally you Little Miss Piggy! You eat and eat and eat and you don't gain an ounce. Ugh I hate you and furthermore I am NOT talking to you," Lily said jokingly.  
  
"Fine," Kally said shrugging her shoulders, "As long as we get moving and get to Honeydukes. I didn't wake up early for nothing you know. And if you think I'm going to spend the rest of my sixth year waiting for you to wake up on this train, you're dead wrong. Sorry," she apologized, "I got a bit carried away there."  
  
"I suggest we take the Sirius Bus then," Sirius proclaimed with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Kally raised her eyebrow perturbed shoving her hand in her pocket. Without giving Kally time to think, he swept her off her feet and whisked her out the door despite Kally's shrieks.  
  
"I DEMAND YOU PUT ME DOOOWWNNNNN!!!!! SIRI YOU JERK! PUT ME DOWN!" Kally screamed trying her hardest not to laugh.  
  
"Nothing doing," was Sirius' calm reply, grinning lopsidedly.  
  
James slapped his forehead irritated following Sirius and Kally out the compartment door and off the train leading Lily by the elbow. "They don't even notice how perfect they are. Well, Kally doesn't notice how perfect they are together anyways."  
  
"You mean Sirius does?" Lily asked intrigued allowing herself to be lead off the train. She gasped as a gust of chilly wing engulfed around her causing her to shiver though it was quite warm for December. In fact, it felt like spring.  
  
"Oh man does he ever!" James answered chuckling. "She's all he talks about!! Kally this and Kally that! Could drive a man insane with his two-hour explanation on how her lipstick matched perfectly with her outfit," he said slightly disapproving. "And does he do anything about his obvious obsession with Kally? Nope! Nada! Nein! No way! He even denies it by saying 'We are just really good friends' and if I say anything but that he'll kill me!"  
  
Lily laughed. "Well Sirius is almost as bad as Kalasin!"  
  
"You mean she talks about him?"  
  
"As if," she said in a mock valley girl tone, "She spits venom out if you even mention her and Sirius in any kind of romantic manner. Or she'll wrestle you in to submission. She might not look it but that twig of a girl is pretty strong." James snickered. "I swear if I listen to her about how strong Sirius is then I'll puke! She'll 'casually' bring him up in a conversation in any way possible.  
" Lily pretended to double over and throw up. "I want to see her happy though, with a guy I mean."   
  
"Me too Lil, me too," James said nodding his head and then looked up at Sirius and Kally who now had their noses pressed up against the glass of Honeydukes and pretending to drool. "Look at them! Oblivious to everyone and everything! C'mon let's catch up! We're so behind." He grabbed Lily's hand and started to run up to Kally and Sirius.  
  
Little did James and Lily know, Sirius and Kally were not as naive as they thought. "Lily so has it for...." Kally trailed off remembering she wasn't suppose to say anything about Lily' infatuation with James, especially with his best friend.  
  
"Yeah. I know what you're talking about," Sirius said huskily, his face red from running. "James has it for her too. He's bloody obsessed!" He exclaimed ignoring the memory of James saying the same thing about him with Kally.  
  
Before either could say another word, James and Lily were behind them. Kally glanced at their hands which were clasped together and she grinned and Sirius who was glimpsing at the same thing. James and Lily seemed to notice where both of them were looking and quickly dropped the other's hand like hot coals and started to blush a deep pink.  
  
James coughed embarrassed. "Er...so, where is Arthur, Remus, Sam and Molly?" He asked trying vain to wipe Sirius' mind and to change to subject.  
  
"We're right here," Sam purred in James' ear from behind him causing Lily to have a pang of jealousy but remembered that she had nothing to be jealous of.   
  
"We were just about to grab some butterbeer," Remus said gesturing vaguely to the Three Broomsticks tavern. "Arthur and Molly are waiting for us there and we were about to join them."  
  
"Didja want to join us?" Samantha asked James directly staring in to his eyes coyly and so slyly that only Lily's sharp eyes could catch the look she was giving him. Lily clenched her fist.  
  
James looked at Samantha oddly then turned to Lily. "Did you want to come Lily?"  
  
Lily hesitated and looked over at Kally who was whispering to Sirius and giggling when he whispered something else back. "I don't know."  
  
"Oh well James, we tried. If she doesn't want to come then don't force her too," Sam said rapidly pulling on James' arm.  
  
"C'mon," James begged, his eyes pleading silently. "I don't wanna go without you Lil," he murmured tugging on her hair softly.   
  
"Yeah Lily go on!" Kally screamed, "Maybe he'll let you sit in his lap!" Lily glared at her most out-going best friend and turned back to James.  
  
He looks so handsome in his navy blue sweater. Matches with his deep, intense eyes, Lily thought, losing herself in his ocean blue eyes and mentally slapped herself back to reality. "Um," Lily stuttered. Look how much he wants me to go. "Okay fine," she relented finally, much to James' delight that showed in his baby blue orbs. She couldn't help noticing Samantha looking furious. "Are you two coming too?" Lily asked Sirius and Kally who jumped, startled.   
  
"We are going to check out Honeydukes first, then go to Zonko's to stock up on products and then we'll join you guys," Sirius said after conferring with Kally.  
  
"But then again," James said, "Maybe we won't see you guys. Perhaps you'll embark on your romance here at Hogsmeade." He ducked the punch that Sirius threw at him till Kally stopped him looking equally furious but then whispered in Sirius' ear again, who lit up at whatever she said to him then made an insulting face at James.  
  
"You're loss," Remus said cheerfully walking towards the Three Broomsticks tavern with Sam in tow.   
  
"This way M'lady," James said with a mock bow and offered his arm gallantly which Lily took blushing leaving Kally and Sirius who she could hear singing absurd Christmas carols and trampling inside Honeydukes.  
  
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"I can't believe it's almost Christmas already!" Kally remarked excitedly as she stared around like a child gazing greedily at the candies that surrounded her in Honeydukes.  
  
"Don't forget it's almost the Christmas Ball at school in two days," Sirius commented, not taking his gaze off of Kally for a second. "And you'd better not forget our pact."  
  
Kally laughed, "You mean the one where if we didn't get a date for the dance by tomorrow that we'd go with each other? Of course I haven't forgotten," she said pinching his cheek.  
  
"Well, I haven't gotten a date yet," he said casually though inside he was writhing with worry that she had already gotten a date. Of course she has, Sirius thought miserably I mean, look at her! Who in his right mind wouldn't ask her? He ran his hands through his black hair, quaking.  
  
Kally silently sighed with relief that her buddy hadn't gotten a date for the Christmas ball and bit her lip to hide a smile. "That's too bad," she said evenly. She mentally slapped herself. Snap out of it! You're so mean! She told herself. I can't believe you're here being relieved that her good friend didn't have a date for the ball "I haven't one either. No one has asked me," she lied remembering guiltily how she had turned down Josh Turner, the handsome seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, among many other admirers. Why am I acting so silly? Josh is perfectly all right to go with..  
  
"I guess I'm too shy to ask anyone and no one has asked me either," Sirius said lying through his teeth. Shy my foot! And Leena asked me to go just yesterday but I just want to go with Kally! Why can't I just tell her? He was extremely relieved to hear that Kally wasn't going with that Josh Turner who he had heard asked her to go.  
  
"Shy?" Kally snickered in spite of herself. "The Great Sirius Michael Black shy??? That's not right!" She said as-a-matter-of-factly, nudging Sirius in the ribs. "Mr. I-need-to-moon-girls-every-full-moon?" Kally collapsed in to peals and peals of infectious laughter causing Sirius to wrinkle his nose.  
  
"Excuse me! It's not my fault!" Kally gave him a skeptical look. "It's not," he whined, "It's not my fault James dares me to moon you girls once a month now is it? You know I can't back down from a dare ever!" Kalasin coughed a cough that sounded like a hidden giggle. "Okay fine! Maybe he dares me to do it because I dare him to dare me but that's beside the point!" Sirius said dismissing the last part. He folded his arms and pretended to sulk.  
  
"Awwww, I believe you buddy," Kally said trying to sound convincing, "But I still think your nick name sound be 'Mooney' instead of that being Remus' you know." She leaned against him, pushing him with her shoulder and then she rested her hand inconspicuously on his arm and then pulled him towards the new practical joke sweets to hide her blush. It's not fair! Why does he have to be so buff and sweet? She wondered distressingly.   
  
"Woah!" Sirius exclaimed at a glass jar that held little black spindly things and he prodded at one of hem gingerly. Instead of inspecting the contents, Kally regarded Sirius with a watchful gaze. Her blue eyes wandered to his face. Black, wild hair, though nowhere as wild as James' hair, intense hazel eyes that were tinted a greenish-gold and seemed so deep and soulful that twinkled like stars most when he was making trouble, that light sprinkling of freckles across his nose, his lopsided, sweet, mischievous smile that Kally love- no...Kally stopped herself. That smile that she liked most about him. She shook her head lightly as she continued to consider Sirius carefully, biting her lip. He was wearing a nice black, muscle tee shirt that showed his sculptured abs. His arms were muscular and he was also dressed in baggy blue jeans and had a chain attached to them. The red sneakers that he was usually poked fun at seemed cute to her that went perfectly with his attire.  
  
"Oy Kals!" Sirius was almost screaming in her ear. She jumped, her eyes jerked around the room, forgetting where she was and was brought back to reality as she was just about to review his personality which she had done a million times before even though she knew that Sirius was already sweet, caring, tender, roguish, and a ton of other things. "I asked you what you wanted to get! I'm paying today! Pick out whatever you want."  
  
"Aw, but Siri..." Kally started to argue but before she could get another word out, Sirius had put his index finger on her lips halting her in mid sentence. Her legs seemed to wobble but caught hers composure before her giddiness was visible in her legs and her hands which were almost shaking.  
  
"I'm paying," he said firmly setting his intense gaze upon her fondly. She's so beautiful. Not to mention with a personality to match. He finally tore his gaze from Kally and looked down at his sneakers that he only kept because Kally had told him that they were positively adorable.  
  
Kalasin put up an admirable fight, but in the end, Sirius got his way and she let him pay for her. They ended up getting two bulging bags of tantalizing candies and in a separate bag they had filled it with practical joke sweets. One of the many they had intended on using on James for his little joke earlier. Arm in arm, laughing so loudly that passer bys stared; they made their way over to The Three Broomsticks while discussing how to get their revenge underway. They had decided that they would go to Zonko's after they had warmed up with a butterbeer.   
  
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The last hour and a half had gone by far too quickly for Lily as she smiled contentedly, trying not to notice how James was leaning against her. She took a dainty sip from her bottle of butterbeer and wondered how she still hadn't finished the whole bottle in all the time that had passed. James was showing her some muggle magic tricks in a quiet little corner where he suggested he show her. Samantha hadn't bothered to hide her obvious annoyance when James asked her and Lily didn't have time to question it. Remus, Molly and Arthur were spiritedly in a conversation about quidditch, like most guys their age were doing. Lily wasn't sure what Sam was doing but she was almost too sure that she could feel Sam's eyes on her and James. He had given Lily his undivided attention for the whole hour and a half much to her joy.  
  
"Now watch closely," James said quietly as he flicked back his jet-black hair away from his eyes before he performed the trick. He tried whole-heartedly not to notice how Lily's hair was up but a tiny piece was curled sexily down the back of her neck. He closed his blue eyes and tried to concentrate fully on his magic trick. "Abra Kadabra!" He exclaimed waving his arms around in the air producing a shower of white lilies to flutter around them. "Pour toi," he said extending a lily towards his only audience member. He said it in such an atrocious French accent it made Lily giggle wildly.  
  
"Merci Monsieur!" Lily said in a praising tone, rolling her 'r's, accepting the beautiful blossom graciously. She sniffed it daintily. James was staring at Lily intently making her extremely nervous and she bit her lip. James opened his mouth about to say something, when just then the doors to the tavern burst open loudly. Five or so other sixth year girls trampled in giggling and gossiping loudly. James closed his mouth haltingly looking taken aback. One of the girls turned and saw James and screeched piercingly and pointed rudely.  
  
The rest of the females wiggled over to where she and James were sitting and completely blocked Lily out, completely covering James. She saw Sam look smug and trot over to their table too and leaned on the table towards James, who looked absolutely overjoyed at all the attention he was receiving.  
  
"So why are you here all by your lonesome," she cooed, pretending not to remember that he and Lily were just sitting there together.  
  
"It doesn't matter now does it? Look at all the girls here! Not here with anyone special right now." Lily was amused at first, not really caring about being ignored but now she was furious. Alone? What the hell does he mean it doesn't matter? Not here with anyone special!!! How dare he? How could I even think I could ever like that cocky son-of-a-" Her mind was closed to all the flirting around her that were directed at James and was distracted from her irate thoughts by a second banging noise of the door being thrown back only this time, the door was banged back with such astounding force. She sadly turned and saw Kally and Sirius hooting loudly and catcalling hilariously at Molly who was sitting in Arthur's lap.  
  
Kally spun around and nudged Sirius and nodded towards James and the horde of girls and then at Lily. Sirius whapped his head in exasperation and trudged over to James, ignoring the girls who were squealing at the sight of Sirius and Lily saw Kally's face tinge pink as she herself walked towards her.  
  
"Hey girlie! What's up?" Kalasin asked her in a false cheerfulness.   
  
"James has gone back to being the player that he is! How could I have been so stupid as to even like him?" Kally gave her a sympathetic glance and hugged Lily. Lily watched Sirius as he tore James away from the group of girls and detached himself from their pulling hands and then whacked James across the back of his head in the corner and seemed to be yelling himself hoarse at James who looked indignant. He doesn't even notice I'm gone yet Lily thought mournfully as a single tear trickled down her cheek. She flicked away the tear angrily. I'm not going to let him or anyone see me cry over that jerk!  
  
"Don't worry about it Lil," Kally said quietly. "He'll go back to being himself you know that! Those girls are just feeding him enough crap to give any guy a big head."  
  
"Well I don't want to be with a guy who will forget me as soon as a bunch of pretty girls compliment him," Lily said defiantly glaring at James. James was seized from Sirius' scolding and was yet again swarmed. This time with Mindy, a pretty, empty headed, curly blond haired, sixth year that was known for going through guys like they were a newspaper, was sitting in his lap and playing with his hair. She was formally known as the 'Black Widow.'  
  
Sirius seemed fed up with his best friend and gave up on James all together. He swaggered over to where the two girls sat silently and plopped in to a seat next to Kally. "Couldn't knock sense in to that boy," he said disgustedly.  
  
"Can anybody?" Kally asked resting her head in her hands.  
  
Lily watched as girl after girl flirted with James and with every winning smile he sent them, her fists clenched tighter. She swallowed a lump in her throat painfully as her eyes burned from holding back tears.  
  
"Lily?" Kally asked cautiously putting her hand on Lily's elbow. "Are you okay?" She looked at Sirius worriedly, her eyes wide.  
  
"Always. Ever since I met him he's been like this," Lily said coldly. Sirius' eyebrows knitted together in a frown confused. "He'd be so sweet when we were alone and them when other people were around he'd turn in to some sort of player and me, being a stupid fool, follow him around like a lost puppy making excuses for his behavior. I always forgave him when he apologized. No more," she finished firmly, "Not ever! I won't let him!" Lily glared at James and pushed back her chair loudly. "I've had enough!" Before Sirius or Kally could stop her, she had already begun to run outside so she could cry alone. Lily slammed the door causing everybody in the tavern to turn and stare.  
  
Kally looked distressed as she looked towards James who was giving her a bemused look. "He doesn't even know what he does to her," she murmured to Sirius who nodded in agreement. "She adores him and he seems to adore her as well at times but he doesn't know how this attitude breaks her heart." She stood up with a determined glint in her blue eyes and started to walk towards the group of girls and James.  
  
"Where are you going?" Sirius inquired, getting up to follow her.  
  
"To give Mister Potter a piece of my mind! If he won't listen to you then he's going to damn well listen to me! You go after Lily," she ordered. Sirius rushed out the tavern doors without a backwards glance not envying James in the slightest for the ordeal Kally was going to put him through. When that girl had that look in her eyes, it was best not to question her any further.  
  
Kalasin growled softly and pushed her way, roughly through the pack of girls. She didn't really need to push her way through because they had all already begun to make a path for her. Kally was extremely popular and the all the girls were in awe of her.  
She marched her way through till only Mindy was left in James' lap, but she quickly hopped off when she saw Kally glowering at her.  
  
"Hey Kals," James chirped cheerfully. "What can I do for ya?" Kally sneered at him, narrowing her eyes spitefully as she felt Lily's anger flowing through her veins. Maybe Lily isn't able to yell at him but I will! She grabbed his shirt harshly, and despite his protests, dragged him to a corner so she could yell at him properly. "Hey watch it Kals," he yelped. "What's your problem?"  
  
"You have no idea," she spat out through gritted teeth, trying whole-heartedly to keep the anger from bursting forth. James gave her a timid look. Her blue eyes were blazing. I shouldn't get so mad! "Did you even see Lily?"  
  
"Huh? Where is Lily anyways?"  
  
Kalasin screamed in frustration. "That just IT James!!!! Where is Lily? You don't even know because you were too busy ignoring her! She's too nice to yell at you even if you are being a grade A jerk to her! Shut up because I'm not near done with you," she warned seeing James open his mouth readily to deny these accusations. "First you pay attention to her like there is no one else in the world then as soon as some stupid pricks pay even the slightest attention to you, your head swells up like a balloon! It amazes me how someone usually so sweet can be such a (a word not usually in her vocabulary)! She deserves someone so much more than you! Even Snape wouldn't be like that to her! Fer cryin' out loud! You practically called her a nobody!" She was not yelling herself hoarse at James while he just opened his mouth and closed it like a fish. Fully aware that now, everyone in the tavern were listening to her scream she lowered her voice menacingly. "Do you honestly think that these dim bulbs can treat you better than Lily can? If so then you're stupider than both of Lucius' henchmen put together! But if you want to be a jerk, go right ahead but leave my friend alone!" Her voice quavered slightly and she grabbed James' shirt again and shoved him back in his chair forcefully. "And leave me alone too!" She straightened her raven tresses and turned her heel and stormed out the door fuming irately, leaving James too shocked for words.   
  
I must have hurt Lily badly to make Kally erupt like that! James thought bewildered not even aware that all the girls had started to comfort him though he tried to shake them off him. Kalasin never gets mad like that! Ever! He rubbed the back of his neck where his shirt had been yanked, nearly choking him.  
  
"Awww! Did Kally hurt you?" Mindy asked, sickeningly sweet, making James gag inwardly. He straightened his glasses and tried to shrug off Mindy's hands, which were trying to massage his neck. He jumped out of his chair and pushed through all the girls and ran outside after Kally. A cold gust of wind pushed back his hair as he ran after Kally who was far ahead of him walking towards the skating rink.  
  
"Kally! KALLY WAIT UP!" James screamed. He knew she could hear him but ignored him as if he were invisible. He finally caught up with her puffing; red in the face he grabbed her elbow gently. Hs jerked off his hand as if he had a disease and snapped her head to face him, all her soft features now rigid.  
  
"What?" She asked venomously. James took a step backwards, quite aware of the fact that she could hurt him if she wanted to.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said looking down at his feet.  
  
"So? Do I look like I care if you're sorry?"  
  
"I deserved that."  
  
"Damn straight you do! Don't apologize to me! Apologize to her," she said nodding her head towards a redheaded figure that was skating dismally with a forlorn look on her face. "I don't advise you to talk to her now though. You might end up hurting her more than you already did." Kally stalked off towards the rink leaving James standing there alone to mull over what he had done. Why did I act like that? It's not me!  
  
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A/N: Yah! I know I wrote it pretty shitty at the end but I just wanted to put up the next part. Part three I think I'll write more on Remus...etc...! I know people don't like seeing James portrayed as an over-bearing jerk but it's just for this part k? DO NOOOOTTT FLAME MEEEE!!!!! Oh by the way, Hermione Potter: the stories aren't connected to each other, they are 3 completely different stories and the Water Lily Love thing is just there cuz I wrote that when I was bored or something. I'm finishing those stories later. Ciao Bellas!  
  
*~Ducks N' Daisies~*  
~Kira  



	3. Misplaced Affections: Part 3

Misplaced affections  
  
  
*~Author's Note~*  
Hiya! I'm feeling extremely defeated=*( On my last story I did, only 6 wonderful people reviewed! By the way, thank you for boosting my confidence. I want to write more when I see so many people enjoyed it but it seems only 5 people did. Oh well. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!! Six fantastic reviews that inspired me to write more!!   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything....etc....etc.........but I own the plot and some of the characters. (you know who)  
  
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You never   
  
lose by loving.   
  
You always lose   
  
by holding back.  
  
~Barbara De Angelis  
  
Part 3  
  
Lily kicked off her skates scornfully and sat on the bench feeling defeated. Why do I bother with him? Lily wondered sadly. Sirius was still skating on the rink and doing crazy stunts to try to cheer her up. In the distance, she saw Kally push James, almost knocking him over. She was waving her arms about meaningfully, her cheeks red with anger and frustration and upon her face she displayed a look of rage, sympathy, and disgust. James had a look of pure abashment and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Kally seemed to be through and fed to the teeth with James and stormed her way over to where Lily sat on the bench.   
  
"That guy!" she exclaimed referring to James who was walking back to the tavern without his usual winning smile. Kally muttered a slew of words Lily hadn't even been aware she knew or existed. "Sometimes he's so naive it makes me want to wring his neck!!!!!"  
  
That feeling was all too familiar to Lily. She had felt those feelings on many occasions. One being when James escorted her to her cousin's wedding the April before and he had flirted with all the girls there. Lily raised a shaking, white hand to her forehead remembering at every reunion, her female relatives would ask about James and would talk about nothing but. Ever since she had bumped in to him on the Hogwarts Express her very first year, he had flirted, girl after girl, sometimes not even aware that he was. It was an impulse with him. A second nature. A sixth sense. That was perhaps what Lily hated most about James.  
  
Sirius skated over to them, panting and sweaty. "C'mon girls, you know you want to skate," he said pulling on Kally's arm.  
  
"Ewwwww!!! You're all sweaty Siri!!! Geoff!!" Kally exclaimed swatting at his hands. "It's probably the last warm day we'll have before spring! How can the ice possibly be frozen over?"  
  
"You'd never guess it was December eh?" Sirius added, collapsing on mossy floor next to the girls. "So, you ladies ready for the dance yet?" He asked in a mock tone.  
  
"I don't even know if I'm going yet," Lily moaned. "I don't even have a date yet and my hopes of going with James are out the window. Sam has a better chance to go with him than I do." A couple of tears squeezed from her eyes but she hastily wiped them away before Kally and Sirius could see them.  
  
"Oh please Lily!! James isn't the only guy in the world," Kally said plucking petals from a daisy one by one and letting them flutter to the ground and land on Sirius' shoulder. She was muttering under her breath while a tiny smile crept upon her mouth.  
  
"Besides," Sirius said boredly, pulling off a petal from Kally's daisy and murmuring something inaudible too and making Kally blush, "I hear that Chris Martins is planning on asking you to the ball anyways."  
  
Lily's face lit up considerably. "Really?" Chris was extremely handsome with sandy, blond hair and cocoa brown eyes. He was the Ravenclaw quidditch team captain and he and James rivaled each other. "Anyways, you two are going to the ball together right?" Lily asked deciding that mooning over James was no use.   
  
Kally and Sirius both looked alarmed at the question then slowly their features relaxed. "Well, if no one asks either of us before then we will," Kally stated trying to sound normal but cursed the quaver in her voice.  
  
"Neither of you got asked yet?" Lily inquired in an amused innocence. "I mean, the most popular and hottest guy and girl in our year haven't been asked to the Christmas Mistletoe Ball? I don't find that believable," she said, most obviously making it difficult for Kally and Sirius. "I thought I saw Leena talking to you yesterday Sirius? I was sure she was asking you to the ball."  
  
Sirius squirmed uncomfortably wishing that he could dig a hole in the center of the earth and stay there. "Well she wasn't," he mumbled. "She was asking about charms homework."   
  
"Whatever you say," Lily commented. She was about to say 'But you don't have charms with her', but someone interrupted.  
  
"Sirius?" An uncertain, frail, sweet voice came from behind where the three were sitting. Lily, Kalasin and Sirius all swiveled around to behold a slender framed girl with long, light brown hair, a light smattering of freckles, rosy cheeks and long, dark lashes. It was Morgan Silva, a pretty sixth year girl who was in Hufflepuff and seemed to dislike Kally because of her popularity with the guys.  
  
"Hey Morgan! What can I do for ya?" Sirius asked in his deep voice that made Kally go weak in the knees.  
  
"Er, I was wondering," she was going red in the face but held her head up defiantly ignoring the glares Kally sent her way. "If you wanted to go to the Christmas Ball with me!" She spat it all out like a nasty tasting medicine very rapidly. Kally's eyes went wide and she looked stricken like Morgan had slapped her across the face.   
  
Sirius clearly looked like he wanted to run away and hide but he fixed his face in to a contorted sort of smile. Crap! He thought to himself panicked. I can't say no or Kally will know I'd rather go with her! Damn! "I'd be...uh...glad to...er...Morgan," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his tone.   
  
Kally frowned and hopped off from the bench and stomped off to Zonko's shop in fury. She heard Sirius and Lily both calling her but she didn't care. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes but she held them back, refusing to cry. She's just doing this to make me upset, Kally thought unhappily. I don't like him anyways! I don't like him...I don't like him! I-I-I d-don't like him at all!!!!  
  
Lily caught up with her and Kally caught a glimpse of Sirius talking to Morgan looking trapped but to Kally's mind, he couldn't look happier. "Hey," Lily said in a lowered voice. "I guess it's a bad day for romance for both of us huh?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kally snapped, quite unlike her usual happy-go-lucky self.  
  
"Y-you and Sirius..." Lily stuttered.  
  
"There is no me and Sirius," Kally answered, her tone going softer. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't like commitment anyways," she said brightly. "I just want to go back to Hogwarts and curl up with a good book, or maybe hibernate till spring." Lily closed her mouth deciding to leave the subject.  
  
The rest of the day was pretty much a flop for the whole lot of teens. Sirius was miserable without Kally and tried to shake off Morgan who refused to go anywhere without him. James kept worrying about what Kally had said to him, or rather, yelled at him. Lily tried to put James out of her mind and made herself wretched in the process. Kally was depressed on the inside, but she buried it deep inside her heart, convincing herself that she didn't care squat about Sirius. Remus didn't seem to notice anything amiss, nor did Molly or Arthur, but Samantha was getting annoyed that James wasn't paying any attention to her and she soon gave up.  
  
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The train ride back to Hogwarts was extremely depressing and unpleasant, despite Remus' desperate attempt to get a lively conversation started. Alas, everyone just sat there, bad-tempered and ready to lash out at anyone. Well, Lily, Kally and Sirius were like that anyways. The rest were just uncomfortable feeling as though the atmosphere could be cut with a knife so they kept silent, not including Remus who didn't seem to realize anything was wrong.  
  
Kally held back a sigh and drank some pumpkin juice. She felt sticky and wet from tromping through the snow and ignored everybody but vaguely answered questions Lily was asking her from her Teen Witch magazine. She knew she wouldn't have as much fun at the ball without Sirius but she didn't think she felt anything more for him than friendship. At least, she didn't think so. Besides, he didn't think of her that way.........  
  
James was in a whole different compartment, feeling as if he couldn't bear to face any of the rest of his friends, especially Lily because of how shabbily he had treated her. He sat by himself in an isolated compartment and snapped at anyone who tried to come in and talk to him, especially at the girls. Rebelliously, he thought he had done nothing wrong, really, but deep in his heart he knew he hurt Lily. He didn't know why he did it, or why he always does it. James just couldn't help himself. Or maybe......maybe I just want to like someone more that I like Lily because I know I have no chance with her, he thought. Like? Or...love? Those thoughts were too disturbing to think of so James stopped and just let him mind go blank as the train continued the long journey back to Hogwarts.   
  
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"How come we always have to sit at the Gryffindor table for dinner?" Kally grunted darkly.   
  
"Er...cuz we are Gryffindors?" Lily said meekly. Droplets of rain pattered on the windows as Lily and Kally made their way down to the great Hall for dinner. They were the last ones out of the common room, both stalled as long as possible from going down. "If Chris is going to ask me to the ball, he'd better ask quick! The bloody ball is in only two days!!!"  
  
"And we still have to decide what to wear," Kally pointed out. "But don't worry about that," she added quickly, seeing the alarmed look upon Lily's face, "I'm sure all the girls will be having a fit over what to wear and lending gowns and such."  
  
Lily groaned as she stomped the marble floor exasperatedly in distress. "I can't believe I forgot to buy a dress yesterday at Hogsmeade!"  
  
"Well, it's understandable anyways. You can borrow one of my gowns," Kally offered generously, "Besides, the only reason I'm going to be wearing a new gown is because mom and pop sent it to me."  
  
"Thanks Kals! New gown? I still haven't seen it."  
  
"No one has," Kally said mysteriously. "I don't intend on letting anyone see it until the ball." She twirled a part of her hair between her fingers thoughtfully. "Did I mention that Josh asked me to the ball again today like, and hour after Morgan asked Sirius?"  
  
"No!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes shining. "And what did you say?"  
  
"Yes! I mean, I wasn't about to refuse the guy. He's nice you know."  
  
"I know but-."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I t-thought you wanted to go with Sirius," Lily stuttered uncomfortably.  
  
Kally squirmed as they finally reached the Great Hall. "He's my good friend and that's it! I just said I thought it would be fun to go with Sirius because we are so close." She sighed in relief seeing that Lily had believed her. All she had to do now was convince herself. But she was pretty convinced anyways.   
  
"Whatever you say," was Lily's short response. They both plopped in to their seats at the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall was bubbling with chatter of people discussing the upcoming ball and there was a loud clattering of silverware as people shook them out of their napkins.  
  
Remus was complaining about how starving he was and looked ridiculous, yet adorable with his napkin tucked in his shirt under his neck. Arthur, who was a year older than the rest of them, was head boy and sitting at the head table. Molly had gone home straight from Hogsmeade to go to Hawaii with her family for Christmas vacation, but she would come back for one day for the ball then return. Unfortunately for Lily, James was seated right across from her and both were avoiding the other's eyes. James fiddled with a button on his robe and looked at his plate ignoring Samantha who was droning on about her gown for he ball. Kally, being sensible, didn't mention anything about what happened earlier at the rink and was whispering to Sirius evilly, who was sitting right next to her, as usual.  
  
When the meal finally began, everyone was presented cream of mushroom soup, but the chattering didn't cease, let alone lessen. Kally inconspicuously got up and made her way over to James' place.  
  
"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, "Is that Prof McGonagall streaking down the hall." He said it mainly to James but the rest of the group also turned heads, except Lily who saw the mischievous glint in Kally's eyes. Sure enough, as Lily expected, Kally took something out of the pockets of her robes and slide it in to James' soup then returned to her seat whistling a tune.  
  
"Have you been eating peanut butter again Siri? You know what that stuff does to you! Shame on you," James said jokingly returning to his soup. "McGonagall is sitting at her table as usual, stiff as a board." Kally began to giggle wildly as James lifted his spoon to his mouth and Sirius choked on some of his own soup almost spitting it out. "What?" James asked. "What the heck are you two lovers laughing at?" That comment seemed to make Kally and Sirius laugh even harder till Sirius was choking so hard that Kally had to slap his back a couple of times. Remus raised his eyebrow curiously though he was stuffing his mouth with rolls. Sam wasn't eating at all but just tearing absently at her napkin silently un-amused. After quite a lot of laughing, Kally and Sirius seemed to stop and continued their meal despite the many questions that people were asking them.  
  
"Geez you two are made for each other," James chided. "Pretty unusual," he said shaking his head and returning to his soup. Kally and Sirius seemed to be leaning in their chair watching James as he, again, lifted his soup to his mouth. "WHAT THE HELL?????" He spat out the soup to the right of him, which happened to be where Samantha was sitting. He spat out something black, spindly, small and......MOVING!!!! "Holy crap!!!!" He screamed loudly disregarding Sam's fearful screeches as she tried in vain to shake, what seemed to be spiders, off her lap. Spiders were climbing out of James' soup bowel to the floor.   
  
Kally and Sirius were dying with laughter though the other people at their table were bellowing and jumping up from their seats. Remus had choked on his bun and had run out of the Great hall completely. It was known that he was quite afraid of spiders. Sam was hyperventilating over the spiders that refused to detach themselves from her dress. Lily sat serenely in her seat, enjoying the sight of James gulping down pumpkin juice hastily and trying to wipe his tongue frantically. His glasses were askew and his blue eyes were wide.  
  
"We told you we'd get you back!" Sirius said calmly. Kally giggled.  
  
"Aw stop fussing! They aren't REAL spiders. They just move and stuff. We found them in Honeydukes, Kally proclaimed. The chaos had desisted before any professors had noticed anything was wrong.  
  
"Honeydukes?" James panted from drinking so much juice and he wiped his mouth his with sleeve, the panic leaving his eyes. Everyone else at the table started to babble on again but kept an ear to hear the reason why the 'spiders' were from Honeydukes. Samantha was still whimpering and ran off to the washroom with two of her friends from Ravenclaw accompanying her.  
  
"Yea Honeydukes!" Sirius rolled his eyes impatiently. "They aren't real spiders. They are sweets! They move for about five minutes then they stop. It's from the gag section of the shop but I'm surprised that you haven't seen them yet. Try one," Sirius said picking one up himself and crunching on it. "Yum! Chocolate." Indeed the spiders had finished moving altogether and became still and began to look more like chocolate.  
  
"Hey," Kally intercepted, "Don't look at us like that! You had it coming. We warned you about joking around with me and Sirius being more than friends, which we probably will never be." Sirius looked stricken at her words but she didn't seem to notice. Lily pushed away her own soup. Her own hunger had vanished with the spiders. Remus was still gone, as was Samantha.  
  
"There aren't...er...anymore spiders I my food is there?" James asked cautiously inspecting the food that had arrived be known to any of the four of them.  
  
"No!" Kally and Sirius both said in unison making James even more alarmed and worried then he already was. They all settled down to their meal once more, Lily remained silent, mainly out of depression and despair.  
  
"I guess I deserved that," James mumbled. "Hell! You guys get the sweetest revenge! That was absolutely brilliant!" He smiled good-naturedly and continued with his meal but he left the rest of his soup untouched completely. "Er...but I don't think I'll ever be too fond of mushroom soup, or any kind of soup, ever again." They all laughed heartily and started the rest of their meal.  
  
After the little spider incident, which they were all sure would be told continuously over the years, no one bore hard feelings towards each other anymore, not even Lily towards James. She couldn't hate him after watching him get so panicked. The enmity melted away like an ice cube in a summer's day sun and everyone continued where they left off, as friends.  
  
Lily chatted with James as normal, much to his relief, though, she didn't think she liked him the way she used to any longer. Remus was still gone though Sam had, unfortunately, returned, but looked disgruntled and bad-tempered, her strawberry blond hair was an unruly mess and her usually perfect make-up was smudged. Kally and Sirius were still calming down from their joke and piled their plates up with roast chicken, lamb, scalloped potatoes and a whole assortment of other delectable looking dishes.  
  
While she conversed with James, Lily dwelled over little things like she sometimes did and to other people it was considered spacing out, or daydreaming. S'funny, she thought, usually, when I get angry with James, I can forgive him and become even more infatuated with him than before but now it's different. It's like today was the first time I really saw him. Or maybe, I didn't really see him. I guess I really have to ask myself, is James the guy who I'm meant to be with?  
  
  
"Are you listening Lil?" James' concerned voice cut through Lily's thoughts.  
  
"Hm? Oh yes. I was just-." She was cut off in mid-sentence by someone tapping on her shoulder gently. It seemed, that day, everyone was getting interrupted by one thing or another, and quite frankly, it was beginning to annoy her. "Yes?" she asked, turning around to come face to face with Christopher Martins, who was blushing madly though looking confident all the same. Her eyes widened and she could feel her own cheeks grow hot.   
  
"What do YOU want Martins?" James growled rudely, glaring at Chris who returned an equally resentful look. It wasn't like James to make such enemies, but ever since Chris had beat him in quidditch, they had instantly become rivals, not just at quidditch but at schoolwork too. Kally and Sirius had stopped their incessant laughter to listen intently to heated conversation. Each boy tried to stare the other one down, both refusing to yield. They didn't exactly make it discreet for their hatred for one another, though, no matter how much James detested Chris, he couldn't despise anyone more than he did Lucius Malfoy or Serverus Snape. Sirius, who hated both Malfoy and Snape, didn't bear any hard feelings towards Chris. After a few moments of glowering, which seemed like years to Lily, Chris finally looked away from James to turn his attention, fully, to her.  
  
"So, before I was impolitely disrupted--," James had to be held back by a forced Sirius at this remark, "I was going to ask you to go to the ball with me Lily. Would you?" Chris' big, cocoa brown eyes were pleading like a puppy's. He was so handsome with his sandy blond hair untamed and his tanned skin. Not to mention his soulful eyes that had a lively twinkle in them. He was squirming waiting for Lily to answer but she was sitting in her chair unable to let the information sink in. She couldn't believe it! Popular, handsome Chris Martins was asking her to go to the Christmas Mistletoe Ball out of all the girls practically queuing up to get him to ask them!!   
  
Kalasin rolled her eyes and nudged Lily hard in the ribs. "Wha?" Lily jumped startled. When she caught sight of Chris, and everyone else at the table, looking expectantly at her, she remembered and was completely mortified that she had taken so long to decide. "Oh! Of course I'll go to the Ball with you Chris!" She consented, flustered.   
  
"GREAT!!! Great! Great!" Chris kept repeating, looking overjoyed but managed to keep his composure. He stumbled backwards. "Well, I'll see you then okay?" He walked backwards, his hands shoved in his pockets and he bit his lip like he did when he was ecstatic. That's so CUTE! Lily thought to herself.   
  
"Alright," she called back to him. She twirled around to face Kally and Sirius who were both beaming, identical mischievous grins from ear to ear. Samantha looked amazed, she knocked over her goblet in shock, incapable to register that Lily was asked to the Ball by the handsome Ravenclaw quidditch captain. One of the most sought out boys in Hogwarts, alongside Sirius, James and Josh Turner, but Sirius' good looks stood out in a group all of his own. James didn't look glad OR amazed. The expression on his face was unmistakable. It was distress. Lily's heart ached for him but only because he looked so hurt. Well, I WANT to go with Chris! Consider this pay back for all the times you hurt me James, Lily thought to herself placing a smug smile on her face, though her eyes pleaded with James to not feel so terrible. He turned his eyes down to his plate and returned to his meal but just picked at his food absently without a sound.  
  
"Congrats Lily!" Kally squealed, excited for her friend. "Way to go! We both bagged Ravenclaw quidditch players!" She said giggling girlishly. Lily couldn't contain a chuckle of amusement. Only an hour ago she had thought no one would ask her to go and that she'd have to go stag, and now, she was going with one of the most handsome guys in school.  
  
"WHAT?" Sirius looked alarmed and Lily recalled that he had no idea that Kally was going to the ball with Josh. Kally seemed to remember that Sirius didn't know and she stiffened, not looking forward to explaining her current plans for the Christmas event. Before she could even open her mouth, someone placed their hands over her Kally's eyes. Lily recognized him as Joshua Turner from Ravenclaw, one of Sirius' friends and Kally's date to the ball. James stayed stubbornly silent and Samantha's mouth opened even wider in surprise, though, Lily doubted that she was more surprised than she was at Lily because Kally had dozens of handsome admirers chasing after her.   
  
He had the deepest, clearest, most meaningful blue eyes Lily had ever seen in her life and his mouth always seemed to curve in to a smile even when he was grave. His brownish black hair that was tinted red in the sunlight went perfectly with his complexion that was tanned and his cheeks always seemed rosy and his expression was cheery. "Guess who?" His voice, Lily noted, wad almost a musical ring to it but was husky and deep for a sixteen year old. He was just about as impish as Sirius was, which was probably the reason he and Sirius were such good friends. His disposition was sweet, and everyone who knew him raved about his playful and hilarious sense of humor.  
  
Kally giggled delightedly and remained completely still under his gentle hands. Sirius' cheeks flamed and Lily could see the visible redness creeping up to his face. His hands clenched at his sides and one would only guess that he was jealous, which he most inevitably was. He jumped up from his seat his chair scraped back loudly startling Josh. Sirius swiftly brutally shoved Josh, knocking him off balance. His eyes were blazing wildly. Lily had never seen him like that before.  
  
"What's your problem Sirius?' Josh said in a low angry tone, removing his hands from Kally's eyes and moving to face Sirius reaching level height with him, his own fists clenching.  
  
"You KNOW what my problem is," Sirius replied narrowing his hazel eyes livid. Kally sat, frozen to her spot biting her lower lip nervously.  
  
Josh nodded, narrowing his own eyes. "So do you have a problem with any other guy besides you going to the ball with a gorgeous, sweet, incredible girl like Kally?" She blushed embarrassed at the attention. "Or do you just have a problem with me going out with her because you don't want her to go with anyone else? I'm not telling you to not go over to your date and talking to her am I?" James looked up and raised an eyebrow, ready to break apart the guys if they attacked each other. Lily didn't think either of the angry boys realized that the whole hall had gone silent waiting to see how the conflict would be resolved, or if it would be resolved at all.   
  
Kally leapt up from her seat to separate Sirius and Josh who were shooting daggers at each other. "That's enough guys," she said firmly but with an unmistakable tremble in her voice. "PLEASE sit DOWN Siri," Kally begged Sirius tearfully.  
  
"You're going with HIM to the ball??????" he demanded, looking straight in to Kally's eyes.   
  
"Yes!" she said defiantly. Lily sat on the edge of her seat waiting to se what would happen next, as was every student in the hall. James had now gotten up and stood behind Sirius, not to hurt but to prevent him from hurtling towards Josh to knock him over.   
  
"Do you have a problem with that Sirius?" Josh asked loudly over Kally's shoulder, trying to push past her.  
  
Sirius' eyes were wild and slammed his fist on the table loudly. "Shut UP Turner!!!!" Abruptly, the suffocating atmosphere broke and Sirius tried in vain to hurl himself at Josh and pummel the life out of him.  
  
"No! Kally screamed. Remus had returned and was now helping James hold a struggling Sirius back from jumping upon Josh. Kally was pushing Josh back as well. Though she was quite strong, Lily went to assist her to calm both men down. There was a deafening exchange of cursing and words that made Lily's ears ring. Words that she was sure wasn't in the dictionary anywhere. The professors finally went over to soothe both irate, once friends, and restore the serenity of the Great Hall.  
  
To be continued in the next part...  
  
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A/N: Well? It's sorta a cliff hanger right? Oh well....I just had to write that part and I didn't want to cut out any part of it cuz I wanted to have yelling and stuff.....heh heh!!! Please PLEASE review or I'll just assume that my stories suck and no one likes it. Looks forwards to the next part which I HOPE will have the Christmas ball in it!!!! Romance....ROMANCE!!! Teehee!! It's coming! Can you feel the inevitable romance to come? Ciao Bellas^^ Yours till the snow flakes phrase compliments of Britters!  
  
*~Ducks N' Daisies~*  
~Kira Trinity^_~  
  
  



	4. Misplaced Affections: Part 4

Misplaced Affections  
  
*~Author's Note~*  
Hello al! How'd y'all like my last part? Good, bad, so-so? Needs ROMANCE don't it? Yup! Like I promised in my last part I am FINALLY putting romance in this part!!! YAY! Heh heh I'm a bit hyper right now. My last part was kinda short huh? Oh well...I'll try to make this one longer. Thanks to Beth and Jennifer who have reviewed all 3 of my parts=)) Also thank you EVERYONE else who reviewed it and bother to even read them! Lol! I'm gonna go write the story now.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything....etc....etc.........but I own the plot and some of the characters. (you know who)  
  
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It's all right  
  
letting yourself go,  
  
as long as you can  
  
get yourself back.  
  
~Mick Jagger  
  
Part 4  
  
There was a flurry of fists as Sirius and Josh, once pals, rolled upon the floor getting as many punches in as possible, neither boy looking ready to concede any time soon. Josh gave as many blows as he received and vice versa while Kally tried in vain to pry both furious men apart before they killed each other. Assisting a tearful Kalasin was Lily, James and Remus. The onlookers from the other tables cheered on the brawl, full of zeal. Slowly, but reluctantly, Kally persuaded some to help her calm down Sirius and Josh, which was a complete waste of time seeing as the professors had come over and yanked both apart, halting the scuffle much to Kally's relief.  
  
Kally gasped at the sight of Sirius, who had a large cut on his lip that was bleeding profusely and both his knuckles were torn and bloody, and Josh who had a visible bruise rising on his left eye and a thin, bleeding cut on his cheek. She could see blood coming from his arms through his black robes. Despite the numerous bruises that coloured their arms, legs and faces and many cuts they received from the other, Sirius and Josh stood, restrained by two to three older seventh year boys, glaring at each other with undeniable hatred. Kally threw herself at Remus, burying her face in his chest because she couldn't bear the sight of Josh and Sirius in such a massive, bloody mess. I never could stomach such violence Kally thought to herself disgustedly as she kept her stomach from heaving. She prided herself on never crying, in public anyways, and rarely in private so she swallowed the large lump in her throat and didn't seem to hear Professor McGonagall screeching herself hoarse at such revolting behaviour and ordered the seventh years that were restricting the two boys to bring them to her office for punishment.  
  
Sirius pushed back the boys who held him back the feeling of vivid abhorrence draining from him slowly and replacing it was shame and envy. He dragged his heavy feet meekly towards where Kally was with her beautiful face hidden in Remus' robes. "Kally I..." his voice trailed off and his gingerly put his hand on her shoulder. Feeling his hand on her shoulder, Kally stiffen and whirled around facing Sirius with dangerously blazing eyes that were full of anger.  
  
"How could you?" Was all she managed to utter before she flounced out of the hall leaving Sirius feeling even more ashamed than he already was and allowed himself to be led to McGonagall's office with the rest of the hall listening breathlessly and staring after Kally, Sirius and Josh. The rest of the students babbled on about the just past events amazed.  
  
"Well," James said shaking his head stunned. "Well, well."  
  
"Yeah," Lily said frowning slightly flopping back down in to her seat. "I could feel THAT coming but I didn't know it would be between Josh and Sirius."  
  
"More ham anyone?" Remus asked in false cheerfulness.  
  
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Kally sniffled in the dark of the deserted Gryffindor common room and whipped a solitary tear away from her cheek. After stamping out of the Great Hall in fury, she had retreated to her room for a big cry releasing her feelings that were pent up inside of her for the longest time. It made her feel some what better though still depressed at the big mess that had formed in the matter of a couple of hours.  
  
Shortly after she had shed shameful tears, very concerned friends accompanied her. Lily, James, Remus, Samantha (sort of), Arthur, and Aurora Chi, an oriental dark haired, dark eyed Gryffindor who was one of Kally's closest and dearest friends. After many hours of convincing them all that she was all right, they finally left to sleep while she quietly crept down to the common room to think by herself in front of the warm hearth.  
  
She hugged her knees close to her body like shield only wearing a red football jersey that reached just a little above her knees that she had bought in Boston to commemorate her first muggle football game. She considered the jersey extremely special because her grandmother had taken her just before she past away. Kally felt so alone and desolate. Usually she had been able to call her grandmother who understood everything or she had told Sirius, but Sirius was part of the problem and now she no one to talk to about it. She hadn't bothered to do her tresses and let it go freely over her shoulders, the light from the fire showed the miniscule strands of hair to be a bronze kind of brown.  
  
"Kals?" A soft but rough voice came from behind her. She recognized the voice to be Sirius' and she froze. She hadn't even heard him creep up behind her so she pretended like she didn't hear him hoping that he'd go away and leave her be so he couldn't see her tears in the light of the fire. Kally bit her lip to strangle the sob rising in her throat and only let out a soft sort of whimper. Sirius collapsed on the couch next to her and sighing heavily he put his arm around her shoulders. Kally shrugged his arm off roughly and refused to look at him or make another sound.  
  
"Go away," she mumbled in to her shirt.  
  
"Kally! Listen," Sirius' voice cracked which startled Kally in to looking at him, "I'm SO incredibly SORRY! I don't know what else to say except that I am extremely sorry!" The school nurse had healed his once bloody knuckles but there were scars slightly noticeable and his hazel eyes were unusually bright. Kally wasn't sure if it was from tears or not but as soon as their eyes locked he lowered his head so his hair covered them. She remained mute and she struggled to keep her eyes stone cold even though her heart longed to hold him and tell him it was alright but nothing justified what he did to Josh, or was there? He took her small hands in his big ones and held them making Kally's heart beat faster.  
  
"Sorry doesn't excuse you from what you did today Siri," she said quietly and reluctantly yanking her hands out of his grip. Kally looked him squarely in the eye fighting to keep the tremble out of her voice and the tears out of her eyes. "Why'd you have to go and fight huh Sirius? Why? He didn't do ANYTHING to you! You started the quarrel! Before today you were such good friends with him! What changed all that?" A single tear squeezed out of her eyes and down her cheek and Sirius reached up and wiped it away tenderly.  
  
"Well," he gulped, "I don't really know why I did it!" Sirius frowned thoughtfully and Kally knew he really did know why he did it but wouldn't tell her. "I just...I-I-I lost complete control of myself! I couldn't help it," he said with a slight muffled quaver in his tone, taking her hands again.   
  
"Attacking him without REASON Siri?" Kally sobbed in a whisper, unable to keep it in any longer. Her chin trembled and she gasped for air between sobs. "How do you expect me to forgive you for assaulting Josh just because you couldn't control yourself? I don't know," she said slowly, "If we could ever go back to being friends because I'll always worry that you might kill him every time you see me with him! I can just imagine how you'll react when you see us at the ball together." She covered her bright violet eyes with her hands trying to stop her childish wailing.  
  
"Don't say that!!!" Sirius exclaimed in the same low whisper seizing Kally's hands so she looked in to his own tear filled eyes. "I can't imagine life without being....w-without being your friend!! I won't do it again Kally! Believe me PLEASE! I can't express in WORDS how SORRY I am that I went off like that!" His voice was so remorseful that more tears tumbled out of Kally's eyes on to Sirius' hands.  
  
"How can I?" she wept. "You could just go off and beat him up again without reason!"  
  
Sirius hung his head and steadied his voice then he snapped his head back up to look back in to her eyes. " I think....I think I tried to hurt him because.....I couldn't stand the thought of you going with....my really good friend," he whispered carefully. "I don't want him to hurt you."  
  
Kally shook her head in disbelief. "Siri! Thank you for trying to look out for me....but you should know me by now and know that I don't give my heart away as easily as that! I'm just going to the dance with him and maybe it will become more and maybe it won't!" Her tears stained her cheeks and she gave Sirius' hands a reassuring squeeze, her anger and tears draining away. "If he does hurt me, it's him you should be trying to defend, not me because when I'm through with him you won't have much left to defend."  
  
Sirius gave a weak chuckle and grinned. "I suppose you're right."  
  
"Of course I'm right," Kally said as a matter-of-factly. "Who's the one with the black belt in karate here? Me that's who!"  
  
Sirius drew a shaky breath and held out his large hand towards her. "Friends? I promise I won't interfere again unless asked." His eyes pleaded with her and she smiled at him and took his hand.  
  
Doing their secret friendship handshake, Kally pulled him in a hug and replied in a whisper with her arms wrapped around his neck, "Forever Padfoot. Forever and beyond."   
  
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Needless to say, Kally and Sirius were even better friends than they had started out to be and in no time at all playing jokes on everyone and driving their professors insane! All of their friends were plenty surprised to see them joke around like before after their little squabble but all of them were too overjoyed to care.  
  
As the date of the ball drew nearer, the level of excitement rose making everyone giddy with anticipation till the climax of the event had arrived, the Christmas Mistletoe Ball.  
  
In Kally's Room.........  
  
"Damn! Where is the darned hair spray?" Kally cried in frustration among 4 frantic girls searching around the Gryffindor sixth year girls' dorm that was set in complete disarray.  
  
"Calm down," Lily said loudly, flipping through the dresses in the closet, "You don't NEED hair spray...but I need a gown! SO HELP ME FIND A GOWN TO WEAR!!!!!!"  
  
Molly, who arrived in mid afternoon that day, groaned loudly ad whipped out an emerald green gown that had a low neck line, a delicate embroidering of deeper green rosebuds would surely cover her feet. Molly was already in a scarlet gown that had milky white beads lacing it gracefully. She had yet to fix her hair or her makeup but she still had time to help her frantic friends, being the levelheaded person in the group. She dug through the closet through shoes upon shoes till she found the ones she had obviously been searching for and then handed them to Lily who had gaped, wide eyed at the low neck line in the dress she was offered.  
  
"I-I-I can't wear THIS Molly," she sputtered.  
"Why the hell not?" Molly asked rolling her eyes vaguely and pinning her hair up with nimble fingers.  
  
"Well...just LOOK at the neck line," Lily exclaimed acting as if it was the most evident thing in the world. "I can't wear that!"   
  
"Don't be such a PRUDE Lily Clark!" (A/N: yes I am aware her real last name is Evans thank you very much) Samantha said slipping a lavender dress over her head. "It's not even THAT daring compared to what the other girls who have dated Chris Martins before have worn," she finished sounding muffled from under the folds of cloth. The gown was beautiful! It had a slight train from the back reminding Lily of a Cinderella tale. She was even wearing glass slippers and she had already done her hair up nicely with curls spilling around her slender face.  
  
"Oh VERY sympathetic Sam," Kally said sarcastically. "Back off her," she scolded, "She's nervous enough as it is!" Kally winked at Lily who winked back appreciatively. She had been in the washroom finished the last touches on her dress and called out to the other three girls who yearned to glimpse at her dress that her parents had sent her especially for the ball.  
  
"Hurry up Kally!!!" Molly called excitedly. "I want to see your dress before I turn fifty! You've been in there for at least four decades already!"  
  
"Har har Molly," Kally said cynically and stepped gracefully out of the washroom provoking gasps from the three girls.  
  
Lily had been coaxed to put on the jade gown but stopped half way staring at Kally's stunning dress in wonder. It was spaghetti strapped and a midnight navy blue and sparkled and shimmered with rhinestones that were sewn in portraying a starry sky. The waistline tampered at a narrow point and then curved down, covering her feet, and a silky translucent materiel swathed the bottom from the waist downwards. She had her hair straight and glossy like feathers, tinted brown in the light of the room and presented a crystal rose in her hair. Kally had done her makeup perfectly ensuring that she hadn't applied too much or too little. "Well?" she asked spinning around in a circle and waiting for approval or rejection. "What do you think?"  
  
"It's so gorgeous," Samantha, breathed, "I am so jealous!"  
  
"Absolutely stunning Kals!!!" Molly grinned energetically, smoothing her crimped tresses.  
  
"Josh's eyes will fall out of their sockets! What are you trying to do girl?" Lily chided. "You are going to give poor Josh eyestrain and Sirius a heart attack!"  
  
"Thanks guys," Kally said gratefully, her cheeks rosy from enthusiasm. "Well I can surely say the same thing about you lot! We'll all knock 'em dead!"  
  
After about another hour or so, Kally deemed them all perfected to a 'T' and ordered them all out to go meet their dates. Lily twisted her hands anxiously around her purse turned to inspect herself in the full-length mirror one last time. She saw a tall, slender figure clad in a beautiful gown and with a lengthy crimson mane. Lily cringed at the sight of the plunging neckline and looked around to see if anyone was watching and whispered, "Heightious," and the shameful neckline moved up two inches. "Much better," she muttered.  
  
"Yes, yes Lily dear, you are magnificent," Sam said hurriedly, "But we must hurry to meet up with our prince charmings. They can't wait around forever you know." She grabbed Lily's arm and yanked her out of the room where Kally and Molly were waiting.  
  
"Times are a wasting girlies," Molly whispered. "Did the guys happen to tell any of you where we were going to meet them by chance?"  
  
"Mine is going to meet me inside the Great Hall for the dance," Samantha said smugly, puffing up her hair.   
  
Kally coughed, probably trying to hold back a laugh at the sight of toilet paper dragging on the heel of Sam's shoes. "Who are you going with anyways?"  
  
Samantha regarded Kally suspiciously, wondering why Kally was going red in the face. "Remus of course." She plastered an innocent look on when the three girls had surprised expressions upon their faces and exchanged wary glances. "Who else would I go with?" Lily could think of someone but held her tongue.  
  
They all made sounds of comprehension and continued their way down the stairs to the common room where Sirius, James, Remus and Arthur were waiting patiently for the girls to come so they could all arrive at the dance with their dates together.  
  
Kally bit her lip at the unusual sight of Sirius dressed up in a handsome chocolate brown suit and his dark red tie. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the periwinkle blue carnation corsage he held in his hands and she regretfully remembered it wasn't for her, but for the stuck up Morgan Silva. She inwardly sighed and lowered her gaze so no one would spot the tears forming in her eyes but then rebelliously blinked them back and reminded herself she didn't feel a twitch for Sirius THAT way, even though he looked so attractive with his crooked smile and wild, black hair and mischievous hazel, gold-tinted eyes. Lily grabbed Kally's arm almost tripping on her too long gown and because of the fact that James looked absolutely striking in his navy blue suit but at the moment looked as if he was forcing a smile on his face. Molly ran in to the arms of Arthur who was wearing a dark green ensemble and spun her around and burying his face in her hair while Molly giggled happily while Samantha did likewise to Remus who grinned and told her how beautiful they all were.  
  
Oh man, Sirius thought desperately, his eyes locking with Kally's violet ones, she's such a beauty. He was miserable. The one person in the world he'd like to go to the ball with was going with one of his close friends, and he couldn't do anything about it because he was too chicken and proud to admit his feelings. He didn't even notice that he was crushing Morgan's corsage while he surveyed how fantastic Kally looked in that gown. Sirius finally managed to jerk out of his trance when James nudged him for the second time in the stomach.  
  
"Oof," Sirius grunted, "I mean, you all look like goddesses," he proclaimed jauntily and grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"As usual of course," James added sending a dashing smile that sent shivers down Lily's spine. "Now we will escort you two ladies," he said to Kally and Lily," Till we reach our own dates. Shall we?" He offered an arm to Lily who was still a bit agitated at him but nevertheless took his arm apprehensively and touching up her hair to see that it was flawless.  
  
"Onward comrades," Sirius bellowed putting his arm around Kally, who was blushing frantically as he steered her out the room, closely followed by the other three couples that were conversing in whispers. Kally laughed loudly as she allowed Sirius to drag her off to meet Josh and his own date.   
  
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Along the corridors, Sirius and Kally tromped creating plenty of noise that was not unexpected from their friends who followed close behind.  
  
"Guess who they hired for the group?" James asked Lily quietly smiling at her through some of his wild, jet-black hair.  
  
"Who?" Lily inquired politely and a bit stiffly.  
  
"The Lost Wanderers," James cried out, his eye as bright as a young boy's instead of a sixteen year olds. "Before our dates find us," James added looking uneasy while at the corner of her eye, Lily could spy Sirius nodding rapidly at him. Lily just looked puzzled and waited expectantly. "I was wondering..." he stalled, "If you'll dance with me to our song at the ball," he spat out quickly then clamped his hand over his mouth and his blue eyes were wide with amazement at what he had just said. Lily was startled and took one step away thinking that James had just made a cruel joke so she looked straight into his deep eyes through her thick, long lashes and searched, but not one trace of regret or mirth was in there.  
  
Lily chuckled lightly. "We have a song now?" she joked mussing James' unruly hair. He nodded, completely mortified.  
  
" 'I Will Always Find You' by The Lost Wanderers," he mumbled, tearing his gaze away from her watchful eyes.  
  
Lily paused and thought a bit and then faintly remembered that that song played when they had danced first in their first year at Hogwarts. That's so incredibly sweet, she thought. "Of course I'll dance with you to 'our song' bud," she said smiling at him. James' features brightened but then darkened as someone grabbed him around his middle.  
  
"Jamesie!" Mindy bounced in front of James in a silvery, sky blue gown and with her light blond curls framing her face she went to plant a kiss upon his lips but he moved his face at the last moment and caught it on the cheek. Lily looked deflated and turned her back to hide her tears and calmly walked to find Chris, un-noticed by everyone excluding James who was trying to pry Mindy off of him.  
  
Remus, Samantha, Arthur and Molly and entered the Great Hall where the Christmas Mistletoe Ball was being held and blended in with the crowd of dancing teens. The Hall was decorated with Christmas trees, fake snow, candles, and, of course, mistletoe (A/N: Teehee). Dry snow softly descended from the ceiling creating a festive ambience while the mistletoe created a whole different sort of atmosphere.   
  
Sirius entered with Kally a little while later with his arm still around her shoulder protectively, protecting her from the pushing crowds that knocked in to them as they made their way to the table the others had claimed, saving seats for them.  
  
"Whew! Some party already," Kalasin commented inspecting the throng of students surrounding her. She laughed as Samantha dragged a unwilling Remus to the dance floor and at Arthur as he whisked Molly off her feet to dance.   
  
"Hello Sirius," drawled a soft voice from behind where he stood with his arm around Kally. It was Morgan who was clothed in a light yellow, full length, strapless gown with her light brown hair flowing around her shoulders.  
  
Kally saw his eyes go wide before he had even looked at her and wince. She snickered to herself and nudged him in the stomach. "Oh Siri. Your date is here. I think you'd better look at her if she's going to be your date you know."  
  
Sirius looked annoyed but looked in to Kally's violet coloured orbs seriously. "But what if I don't want her to be my date?" he asked, barely above a whisper but no one except Kally heard over the deafening noise of the music. She opened her mouth slightly and stared back at Sirius who put his finger on her lips to prevent her from speaking.  
  
"Well?" Morgan asked impatiently though her tone was honey-smooth. She pushed between Sirius and Kally and shoved the stricken girl aside. "Let's dance," she chirped cheerfully. Kally glared at Morgan spitefully and stomped back to the table.  
  
"Don't you push her," Sirius said through gritted teeth, striving to sound civil. Morgan shrugged annoyingly and pulled him to dance, but he lingered and drew her to the direction where Kally was standing fuming.  
  
She has SOME nerve, Kally thought venomously. How DARE she...that...that...-- her thoughts were cut short. Someone had sneaked up behind her and wrapped their arms around her waist tenderly. "Josh," she cried happily and threw her own arms around his neck. He was always hanging around with Sirius and her before the little mishap and she and him had become close friends indeed. He was wearing a dark blue suit that matched his soulful eyes though even in such formal wear he had that playful glint of his in there. Josh was just about to place a kiss on her lips when he was shoved backwards by Sirius who came with Morgan in tow.  
  
"Sirius," Kally yelped horrified and pleadingly while she scrambled to help Josh up which was not necessary since he had been on his guard and was ready for the assault. He leapt up almost instantly and intently stared Sirius in the eye. "Siri! You promised," she whispered, tears forming. Something in Sirius broke and his hateful gaze softened at the sound of Kally's voice and he went on ignoring Morgan's pitiful whining.  
  
"So sorry Josh," he said gruffly running his large hand through his hair. "I wish what happened didn't and I'd like to ask you to forgive me for my terrible behaviour towards my friend," he finished like a pro that made Kally extremely proud of him for being so mature about it, finally. He held out his hand and waited for Josh's shocked response.  
  
"Well," Josh said massaging his neck, "I didn't quite expect that to happen. I kind of expected a punch or something but definitely not an apology. Er, not that I want a punch or anything, so don't get any ideas," Sirius chortled rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'm sorry too old buddy," he apologized contritely and accepted Sirius' hand and shook. "We sure walloped each other good huh? Of course, I did teach you a few things about fighting, but don't worry, your little girly arms will become stronger with exercise eh," Josh said lightly punching Sirius in the arm will his dimpled smile clearly said that he was joking.  
  
Sirius gave him a withering look and started reproachfully, "Don't go there girlfriend," he said mocking the girl from a muggle television show. "Your supposed punches wouldn't even bruise Snape the Sissy."  
  
Josh shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "You bruised a fair bit," he reminded. "Besides, punching him is the least I could to Lucius and his posse," Josh broke off snickering. "Remember last May?" He and Sirius started to hoot with uncontrollable laughter.  
  
"Come oooooonnnnnn Siri," Morgan whined, pulling his sleeve. No one calls him 'Siri' but me, Kally thought irately. Morgan fluttered her eyelashes at Sirius and he reluctantly left after something inaudible to Josh and rolling his eyes as he followed Morgan.   
  
"Oh cripes I do not envy him in the slightest for his date," Josh said turning to Kally and gazing at her fondly. "Especially when I have you. You're beautiful as always," he said holding her out and allowingher to twirl around for him so he could inspect her midnight blue gown with approval. He kissed her on the tip of her nose and she blushed prettily as he took her hands in his as a slow song came on, her wrapped his arms around her and she placed her arms around his neck twining her fingers in the hairs at the nape of his neck as she laid her head upon his shoulder and he placed his hand warily on her bare back as they lost themselves in the music.   
  
James too was on the dance floor dancing with his date, Mindy; while she snuggled disgustingly close, golden curls tumbling down his back, while Lily glared at the couple from her seat waiting for Chris to appear. While Lily glared at her shoes, someone held out a hand to her, she looked up to see a red, panting Chris.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late Lily," he apologized quickly, "I just so wanted everything to be perfect so I had to go get a..." he trailed off and timidly pulled a beautiful and rare lily from behind his back. Lily gasped and marvelled at the exquisiteness of the bloom while Chris gingerly pinned it on her dress and then threw her arms around him and kissed him quickly on the lips then blushed at her own daring and looked away, down at her shoes. Chris grinned and took Lily's hands in his and put them around his neck while he laid his hands on her waist and swayed to the slow movements of the music not bothering with words.  
  
James was gazing from over Mindy's shoulder envious of his rival. He felt a sharp pang in his heart and closed his eyes, burying his face in his partner's hair trying to block out his tears. He felt so silly for feeling that way but he couldn't for the life of him halt how his heart felt. He couldn't wait for their song to come on so he could be in Chris' place and be able to hold Lily close so he could soothe his growing affection for her.  
  
1 hour later...  
  
"Woooowwwwwiiieeeee this is SOME dance," Molly squealed elated. She wasn't in the least out of breath even though she and Arthur had danced to every song, fast or slow and Arthur was wheezing and panting for breath while his face was cherry red. "Wait," she said to the large group of talking friends. She held a hand to her ear listening. "IT'S A SWING SONG!!! C'mon Arthur. Let's SWING!"  
  
Arthur looked at her like she had just asked him to perform heart surgery on the Minister of Magic and waved his hands at her, still out of breath. "We just DID swing! No more...need...air...Must...rest..."  
  
"Don't be such a baby," Molly scolded placing her hands on her hips, "You are coming to dance. NOW MISTER WEASLEY!!!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs while dragging him to the dance floor with much difficulty and protests.  
  
Sirius, James, Kally and Josh whooped and cat called at the pair and the girls just shook their heads laughing. Samantha took a large swig of beer and pulled Remus' collar looking at him seductively and leading him out to the corridors. Lily made a face and nudged Kally who was staring at Sirius without noticing it. Lucius Malfoy, from Slytherin house, with his white-blond hair and pale, pointed face was, as usual was accompanied by his two cronies Sirius had christened 'The Lumps' were with their dates (Sirius had no idea how they had gotten dates but reckoned their dates were bribed) and were torturing Danny Longbottom by pinching him mercilessly while he winced and danced with his date who got so fed up with Lucius' taunting that she slapped him neatly across the face. Sirius had rushed over to try and join the arising fight but the professors saw the chaos ling before and nipped it in the bud so he crestfallen had returned to their table to plan to spike the punch with Hairbloom. Even a sip of Hairbloom puffed someone's hair till it looked like an extremely large bird's nest. Sirius, of course, had bought it from Zonko's.  
  
Mindy and Morgan had gone off to the ladies' room to freshen up with their noses in the air mumbling to each other about the 'trash' their dates hung out with whilst Kally was held back by Lily ad Samantha from severely injuring those 'snobby cows' as she later referred to them while Sirius silently agreed though he didn't let them know he had heard or he would have been expected to defend them, seeing as he was Morgan's date. Just a half an hour ago, Professor Dumbledore had let out floating mistletoe that drifted around the room while hovering over couples while everyone else waited for the couple to kiss. Sometimes it was an unfortunate match since a few times the mistletoe had found it's way to dancing pairs that had different dates. Kally went white when she had realized the mistletoe had found it's way over her own head when she was speaking with Sirius and each time she swiftly ducked out of the way and clung back to Josh.  
  
After a time, Remus had returned with a sickly, green tinge upon his face. "Um, Sam drunk too much I think and got sick in the ladies' room."  
  
This one comment provoked howls of laughter from the group of boys and sympathetic tuts from the Lily and Kally though neither got up to see how she was feeling. Lily had confided in Kally about her harbouring feeling of dislike towards Sam for her little flirtations with James but still insisted that she didn't like him anymore and that it was the principle of the fact that Sam had flirted with someone she knew Lily had liked so they had both resolved to tell Samantha a thing or two about real friendship afterwards.  
  
"Have you anything to drink?" Remus asked concerned on behalf of Samantha, "Sam wanted something to get rid of the horrible taste of vomit," he said bluntly making Kally giggle insensitively.  
  
"Oh yeah!" Sirius said loudly and shoving a cup of the punch that he had spiked with hairbloom, in to Remus' hands.  
  
"Make sure she drinks every drop," Josh said smirking while James clapped Sirius on the back heartily.   
  
"Gee, thanks guys," Remus said oblivious to Chris who was sniggering uncontrollably in to his hands. Remus curried off towards the ladies' washroom unaware of the spiked punch he was about to present to Samantha with good intentions.  
  
Kally shook with laughter. "P-p-poor R-Remus," she sputtered.  
  
"Poor Remus and Samantha," Sirius replied, his eyes glinting while he began to hand other people his special punch without guilt.   
  
Many laughs, jokes, screams, drinks...and dances later...  
  
"Well students, it's the last dance of the Christmas Mistletoe Ball," the booming voice of Professor McGonagall came on the stage over the microphone in front of The Lost Wanderers group while the whole hall became quiet with only little tittering noises. "As I had mentioned in my Transfiguration class, we will be having the 'Merry Mistletoe Couple' by the end of the ball. If any of you are unclear of the term it means that the floating mistletoe will be going around and whomever it hovers over, that particular couple will be the deemed the Most Perfect couple," she said in a tight voice with a sour expression, probably despising the concept. She walked off the stage stiffly while one of the members of The Lost Wanderers took over the speaker.  
  
"You heard what your professor said. You all better grab someone special because our next and final song is called 'I Will Always Find You.' The band struck up a slow soothing tune while Kally saw Lily's eyes widen with fright as she saw James approaching her as promised.  
  
Chris had already gotten up to dance with Lily while she just stood there helplessly as James tapped Chris on the shoulder crisply.  
  
"May I cut in?" he asked straining to sound polite.   
  
Chris looked ready to burst. His face went red with fury and opened his mouth but looked in to Lily's pleading eyes first. "Alright," he said reluctantly letting go of Lily but not before he kissed her hand. "I'll see you later?"  
  
"Of course," Lily squeaked relieved that Chris was so sweet, putting her feelings first. She was grateful that he hadn't caused a scene. He left after punching James hard in the arm. James would have fought with him right there had Lily not restrained him and whispered in his ear, "Just dance." He relaxed and held her though he was uneasy.  
  
Kally had made Rory (her name for Aurora) dance with Chris before Mindy had gotten her greasy paws on him and she herself was dancing with Josh though Lily noticed Sirius was about to cut in if she hadn't waved him not to.  
  
When the conflict of who was going to dance with who stopped, Lily just concentrated on dancing with James. Being so close to him made her feel dizzy and light-headed as he twirled her in his arms, pulling her closer. She let the words of the song wash over her like a warm ocean breeze as she reached up to tuck a wisp of his wild, jet-black hair behind his ear.  
  
When you feel lost and scared,  
In the dark and cruel of the night.  
Please believe me and know always,  
That I'll be your tender, loving light.  
  
The love we share, will always be there,  
No matter if you are far away, night and day.  
Our souls with connect, each other we reflect,  
So never feel lost because I will always find you.  
  
So you're not frightened any longer  
Guiding you back to my heart,  
You'll know it's love when you feel it,   
Even when we are miles apart.  
  
When you're forlorn and confused,  
And your innocence is abused.  
When you go astray and get lost on the way,  
Never worry for I will always find you.  
  
James took in Lily's scent of blossoms and attentive only to her, ignoring Mindy who was glaring open-mouthed as he danced. He was quite aware that Lily had stopped feeling so tense and collapsed against him, entwining her arms around his neck. He held her around her slim waist, holding her even closer making Lily weak in the knees as he looked in to her eyes as the song ended, much to both of their dismay, they let go of each other.  
  
They hadn't moved away from one another but just stared in to the other's eyes wordlessly becoming conscious of the fact that everyone in the Great Hall were cheering and whistling. Confused, Lily turned to Kally who was at their table with Josh and Sirius who were laughing. Kally grinned and pointed up.  
  
Lily, afraid of what she would see, looked above where she and James stood and saw the mistletoe hovering above them. Professor Dumbledore brought a sash to Lily and hung it over her and then did the same to James. James scratching his neck uncomfortably and still looked happy. He lifted the sash so Lily could see what it said and when she saw, her eyes widened and she gasped.  
  
"Oh my gosh," she whispered. On the sash it read 'The Merriest Perfect Couple' in large red lettering. She blushed scarlet knowing what would come next. Already every student at the ball started to chant 'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!'   
  
James stood uncomfortably and shifted feet while digging his nails into his currently sweaty palms tensely. I'm going to screw it up some how, he thought panicked. She's so beautiful tonight. I love her almond shaped, emerald green eyes, so kind and innocent, and her gorgeous jade dress to match them.   
  
Lily gulped as James moved closer to her again. Her first reaction was to run away but her feet seemed rooted to the spot as James bent over to kiss her and she could only close her eyes and kiss him back. Her breath caught in her throat as he laid the sweetest, softest kiss she had ever received. He took his right hand and put it on her cheek to steady the kiss and used the other hand to hold Lily up because if he hadn't, she surely would have fallen. James' warmth flowed from his lips to her own lips down to her very toes as he deepened the kiss and his tongue found it's way into her mouth and she moaned into his mouth but Lily moved back half-heartedly refusing to let it go further, remembering that she was with Chris who was watching from the other side of the room. Her head was swirling from the kiss James had given her and she gave her head a little shake like if she had just drank a whole case of beer by herself. James' kisses were intoxicating, though she wouldn't let on to anyone that they were.  
  
She bit her lip and flushed even more crimson when everybody cheered wildly, excluding certain people, while James looked stunned and flushed. Lily avoided James' eyes and hurried over to where Chris stood with his arms crossed but he didn't look angry in the slightest. "I'm so sorry Chris," she said frantically, "I didn't mean to hurt you or anything but..."  
  
He stopped her, "Don't worry about it love," Chris said pulling her into an embrace. "I know. You couldn't do anything about it. As long as it didn't mean anything." Lily buried her face into his shoulder not answering as the cheering subsided slowly. James was still frozen where Lily had left him and he touched his lips as Sirius came over and slapped him on the back congratulating him.  
"You lucky duck you," Sirius chuckled ruffling James' hair. "I guess you won't be mooning over Lily anymore eh? I think you were only infatuated with her for the sport of it," he remarked quietly and a bit sadly.  
  
"What makes you say that?" James asked, getting over his shock. Sirius shrugged and ambled over to their table where Remus sat, trying to calm down Samantha who was absolutely distraught over her hair that had puffed up till it was the size of a balloon while Mindy and Morgan tried to pacify her by telling her it didn't look THAT bad which only made her run from the room crying with Remus trailing her close behind.  
  
Molly had tears streaming down her face from the restraining herself from laughing and burst out laughing once Sam had left the room. "HAHAHAHAAAAA!!! Oh my goodness! Ahem, anyways, Arthur has gone to get butterbeer for the little 'get together' for after the end of the ball," she said cheerfully, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes and smoothed out her scarlet gown primly  
  
"C'mon guys," Kally called to the two boys, giggling, while McGonagall pronounced the Ball ended and the crowd dispersed back to their common rooms murmuring about how wonderfully grand the Ball was. Her hand was in Josh's and his blue eyes were gazing at Kally in adoration. "Arthur is having a party in the Gryffindor common room right now." Josh picked Kally up in his arms and carried her off towards the Gryffindor tower, while Sirius made a low growling noise in his throat and led Morgan by the elbow to escort her back to her Hufflepuff room seeing as she couldn't go to their Gryffindor even if Sirius had wanted her to which he didn't and James did the same with Mindy though his thoughts were completely on Lily.   
  
What's going to happen next? He wondered as he and Sirius, in deadly silence, had reached the entrance of the party that was in full swing in their common room and climbed through.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Well, that's a bit of romance there I guess...but it's not as romantic as I'm gonna make it later ^_~ Don't worry, it's not gonna get sick. Hopefully I will get to the more romantic parts later in the story. Keep reading to see what happens in Part 5 at the party. WOOOOOO!!!! Review please. Some parts of this story might be really weird cuz I am writing this extremely late. Must sleep...now...! Ciao Bellas^^  
  
Ducks N' Daisies  
~Kira   
  
  
  
  



	5. Misplaced Affections: Part 5 (revised a....

  
Misplaced Affections  
  
*~Author's Note~*  
This is there revised version of part five cuz I wanted to write more in this part....so...if you're actually reading this, enjoy. I was going to make it mushy but I didn't think it was a good time to make it mushy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
If you judge people,   
  
you have no time   
  
to love them  
  
~Mother Teresa  
  
Part 5  
  
Sirius guffawed and slapped James on the back heartily at the sight that beheld them when they entered the common room not expecting a party thrown by the head boy to be wild, but wild it was. In fact, wild was an understatement. The Gryffindor common room was packed with dancing Gryffindors having what seemed to be, a wild time. In all James' time at Hogwarts, and all the mischief he had caused, he had never observed such mayhem and chaos before. Bottles of Butterbeer could be heard rattling through the room and were being shaken to the point where they popped open. The sight was mesmerizing but James had only one thought in his mind at the moment and that was Lily. Many of the Gryffindors were in their pyjamas, ready to dance the whole night away, while others had not even bothered to change.  
  
James shook his head a bit and relished the old James that had come back to him at that moment that he had lost over the last day or two when he sunk in to a sort of sickly depression for reasons he didn't care to sort out or explain even to himself. All he knew, was that he felt more like himself and just wanted to have fun, and he intended to do just that. Smirking, he whirled around Trisha Roberts, a shy, yet fun-loving sixth year Gryffindor in to a fast dance that was playing. Trisha giggled wildly, enjoying the special attention she was getting from the marvellously popular James Potter as they pranced around, careful not to bump into other dancing couples. James rejoiced over the few blissful minutes he had of complete thoughtlessness like as if he had drunk that potion...what was it called again? Oh it didn't matter at that moment. All he knew was that he was feeling completely exhilarated but somehow, he didn't feel....alive. It was like he was out of his body and watching himself dance without his soul. Without his spirit. And he hated it with a passion how someone could do that to him so easily, with so much as a glance.  
  
Forget about her man, just forget about her. Her smile, her laugh her.....STOP IT!!! James thought to himself furiously as the song ended and everyone drifted away either to sit in the comfy couches or to get even ore drinks. James himself wandered toward the balcony in the tower that over saw the dark lake below and he breathed in the sharp, fresh air trying to forget Lily and the way she looked in to his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair out of habit when he was in way over his head or nervous, it went both ways, an that day, he had run his hand through his unruly hair about a thousand times and his insides were writhing and were a jumbled mess. What's up with me? James took a deep breath and let it out slowly and squeezed his eyes shut tight and loosened his tie so that it hung loosely around his neck.  
  
Just before Mindy had gone up to her own room, she had planted a big sloppy kiss on James' lips. Disgusting! James thought to himself, wincing at the memory. If there was anything he hated more than Malfoy and Snape, it was messy kisses. He had tried to enjoy it, he knew, the old James Potter would have. What's going ON with me? James leaned on the railed of the balcony, music wafting in from the common room. I've got to get it together and forget about the redhead. Play a few pranks, hook up with a few girls and I'm back in the game! The old carefree prankster I always was. Mr. Do-anything Potter! The guy that all the girls drooled over, longed to be with, not like this Lily girl, James contemplated, building confidence by the second. "It's the way my sixth year was suppose to be, not all this confusion," he said aloud.  
  
"Talkin' to yourself again 'eh Potter?"  
  
James jumped ten feet in the air, startled out of his wits. "AGGGGGHHHH!!!!!" He was so deep in thought that he had forgotten exactly where he was.  
  
Sirius stood in the doorway, his figure seen in the light of the party going on. He lifted his hands in a mock of surrender. "Easy there Prongs! No need to get so riled up about nothin'." With his own tie slack, Sirius swaggered over to the rail of the balcony too and took a great gulp of some honey looking liquid in a slender bottle. James raised his eyebrow at his best friend.  
  
"If you go and get drunk again, don't be complaining to me tomorrow morning about your hangover."  
  
Cocking his head slighting, portraying a look of purity, Sirius looked politely bemused. Him and his acting! "I don't know what you're talking about!" he proclaimed in a deep slurring voice, a voice of a drunk, and then he gave a loud roaring laugh at James' shocked expression. "I'm just ribbing you Jamesie boy! If there's one thing I've learned from good ol' Samantha, it's never drink even a touch of alcohol so long as you don't want to end up looking like what the cat dragged in, like she looks half the time when she drinks even a drop of beer, and the night's not nearly over for me yet," he said winking. "And by the looks of it," Sirius added, nodding his head in the direction of the party, "Neither is yours. By the way, it's butterbeer. Cheers!"  
  
He was referring to Lily, in her emerald green silk pyjamas, who had just emerged from her dorm, looking quite lost among the horde of dancing Gryffindors. Why is she always here? James thought exasperatedly, not thinking he could stand thinking of that girl anymore for at least a decade. It just took away all his strength. She didn't even like him that way. Not anymore at least. And nor did he want he to, because all he wanted was a fling. Not a binding relationship with a girl who was besotted with that...that Christopher Martin! James scoffed at the very thought of that bubblehead.   
  
Sirius nudged him hard. "You okay there? You looked like you were going to punch someone, and if you are, I don't want to be your punching bag," he announced backing away slightly. Sirius had changed into his normal sleeping wear. A grey muscle tee ("Gotta look my best, even when in slumber," he had said with a chuckle.), red plaid shorts that went down past his knees, and long white socks. His hair, messy as it always was, since he started to hang out with James anyways. I have a terrible influence on him, James thought ruefully.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay. Things have just been crazy around here with the dance and all," James replied, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Oh," Sirius said equally cool. My foot! Hell, whom does he think he's foolin'? Yeah, like the dance is all that's bothering him. "Well, things will be back to normal once we get you a girl who's IQ is higher than a rock."  
  
"Har har, very funny. But I suppose you're right," James admitted.  
  
"I wasn't joking about the IQ thing you know."  
  
"I know!"  
  
"Well then, now that that's settled," Sirius said rubbing his hands together, "Let's move on to more important matters."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Lily!" James gave his friend a blank look that resulted in Sirius whacking his head in frustration. "Don't you give me that bull, boy! I know you too well for you to be playing that stuff off like it's no big deal! I know that kiss from her meant at least something even miniscule to you. Confess! It affected you!" Sirius prodded James shoulder with his index finger with every syllable in his last sentence.  
  
James was NOT in the mood to be ragged on. "It was a kiss. It meant NOTHING!!! We only did it out of good humour for this silly thing the professors had going," he said, yanking at the sash he still wore. "Merriest Perfect Couple! Bah!"  
  
"Bah humbug to you too Scrooge!" Sirius said laughing. "Okay, I give up! It was just a thought." He paused for a second looking up into the star filled sky. "It was magically picked you know. That couple thing." James narrowed his eyes at Sirius who backed up a step. "Just making sure you know."  
  
James sighed. "Don't you worry. In two days time, for Christmas, I won't be acting all weird."  
  
"You mean you don't constantly act like this?"  
  
Shoving Sirius, he continued. "I've been so preoccupied with the Mindy ordeal. Man, that girl is one sloppy kisser!" Sirius made a face of equal revolt that was on his own face whenever he thought of it.  
  
"I didn't need to know that."  
  
"Just sharing."  
  
The two just looked into the horizon for a few moments, neither speaking, just enjoying the silence, except for the music playing in the background, though now, very early in the morn, most people had started make their way off to bed.  
  
"I'm not the only one acting preoccupied," James pointed out to his friend who had been leaning against the rail and seemly was staring aimlessly into the almost empty common room.  
  
"Hm?" Sirius murmured, sounding startled. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Kally," James said, uttering a single word, gesturing inside where Sirius had been gazing at Kally who had bounced over to Lily who was sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace serenely looking at the flying embers. Kalasin retired her fancy dress and donned loose navy blue sweatpants and a light blue cotton tee shirt with a Paul frank monkey in the center. Upon her feet were fuzzy bunny slippers that were so very Kally-like, not to mention her hair was put up in two pigtails.   
  
"I was just thinking that that girl can look cute even in a brown paper bag," Sirius said, grinning goofily and almost immediately regretting confiding that little bit of info with even James. Play it off like a joke Black! Play it off, Sirius though panicking slighting and racking his brain for a joke, but then finding he couldn't think of one so he just gave up. "Er, she's no Morgan but..."  
  
"Uh huh," James said cutting him off. "And Morgan's no Kalasin." Smothering a chortle, he faced the direction of where the two girls were sitting, chatting away animatedly, the only two left in the large room. Sirius glared at James, hearing the premature snigger. Suddenly, Kally and Lily both looked at James and Sirius with befuddled looks on their faces before bursting out with laughter, finding that both guys were staring at them.  
  
Instead of swivelling around to face the opposite way, ashamed and embarrassed at being caught, James and Sirius both waved merrily in sync then laughing at the girls who waved just as enthusiastically back at them, but daintier to be a bit exaggerated. Going back to their conversation, James noticed that Kally said something to Lily that made her look a bit green and nauseous.  
  
"Do you think we should intrude on their conversation?" Sirius asked coolly, but James detected a hint of nervousness in his calm voice.  
  
Raising one of his eyebrows, he glanced over and Sirius and said warily, "Sure. Why not." I already decided not to like Lily that way anyways. All I have to do is stick by that, it'll be a piece of cake. Right? Shaking his head to clear all thoughts, James matched Sirius' long strides into the room, looking more confident than James was sure he felt.   
  
Sirius gulped, uneasily. One step after another Siri ol' boy. That's it. You can handle this. Its just Kally. There's no such thing as JUST when it comes to Kally, Sirius thought to himself slightly alarmed. He swallowed and continued his seemingly endless walk towards Kally and Lily, but, just before he reached, he tripped over couple of butterbeer bottles. He swayed, kicking each leg up to maintain balance. Swinging his arms around he distinctively heard laughter from James, Lily.....and Kally. Just as he thought he was going to plunge ungracefully and without a shred of dignity, he steadied himself, though one of his legs was still in mid air, his arms ceased, stretched away from him and a lock of his black hair fell across his eyes.  
  
Sirius blew the lock of hair away from his eyes with a little "pheff" and looked triumphantly at his three friends who had 'disappointment written all over their faces.   
  
"Just another step Siri," Kally taunted, good-naturedly. "Walk much?"  
  
"Oh yea?" Sirius took another step towards them and made sure his foot made contact with the floor successfully. "See? It was only a fluke that I would lose my balance like...." becoming a little too confident too soon, he took another step and tripped over his own feet, plummeting towards the wood floor landing quite gracelessly on his behind.  
  
"Oh, SO close, so close babe but no cigar," Kally called out laughing out of control. Lily was having a fit of giggles but was, unsuccessfully, trying to hide it behind her hand and James, he had fallen out of the chair he was sitting on and rolling around on the floor, tears of mirth streaming down his face mercilessly.   
  
Gathering up the very last scrap of dignity he had left (if any) Sirius stood up, dusted off his clothes and mumbled, "I meant to do that! Feh!" He then grinned at the ridiculousness of it all then swaggered over and plopped himself down next to where Kally was seated on a plump orange couch.  
  
"You are just so graceful Siri that you just could not manage to be any more refined," Kally mocked, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
Sirius rose to the mockery, puffing his chest up with pride, "Much more elegant than you are anyways," he sniffed.  
  
Wrinkling her nose, Kally whacked Sirius across the head whilst James and Lily looked on in amusement. "Ouch!" Sirius exclaimed reproachfully, rubbing his head and grinning.  
  
"Siri, saying a man is elegant gives off the wrong impression," Kally retorted, "Stick with graceful. And in accordance with you belief that you are more graceful than yours truly, I have but one simple statement: As if girlfriend!" With that, she went off in to peals of laughter.  
  
"Whatever you say, ddaaahhhh-link," he said in a ridiculing, shrilly, girly voice, fluttering his eyelashes at her playfully.  
  
"Ugh! Stop already," Lily said, "Enough is enough! You guys are starting to get nonsensical with all this crap. I got lost after 'Ouch!'"  
  
James added, "Now really, it's just too early in the morning to be teasing. In fact, I'll be trotting off to the dorm now to catch some shut eye." With that, he stumbled off towards his room without even a backwards glance at the group, and was especially careful not to glance at Lily.  
  
Lily sighed. He didn't even say goodnight to me! I guess the kiss meant nothing to him. Well! If that's the way he wants to play it, so be it! Feeling heavy hearted, Lily dragged herself to her feet. "I guess I'd better be going to sleep too. Night you two. Behaavveee," she purred wiggling her eyebrows comically, laughing when Kally threw a pillow at her head.  
***  
Now in her room, all alone, Lily tossed the sash that read "The Merriest Perfect Couple," in to the trash bin that stood next to her desk. What kind of foolish charm was that anyways? Lily thought to herself scornfully. After a slight hesitation, she went back and picked the sash out of the trash and folded it carefully, then packed it away in her memory box that she kept safely hidden under her bed. Maybe it's not so foolish.  
  
***  
  
Back in the common room, Sirius was acutely aware that he was now completely alone with Kally and wondered why on earth breathing had become so difficult for him right then.  
  
"You look like something is bothering you Siri," Kally said, startling Sirius out of his trance.  
  
"Wha? Oh, yea....I mean no," he stuttered clearing his voice so that the obvious squeakiness would disappear. "Actually, I think I might be catching a cold."  
"Really?" Kally asked, her forehead scrunching up in concern, her voice full of sincere compassion that made Sirius feel guilty for lying. Tentatively, Kally stretched her arm up and placed her tiny palm on his forehead, then slipped it down to his cheeks, apparently checking his temperature and immediately, at her touch, Sirius could feel his face go beet red and flaming up. "Woah," Kally exclaimed softly. "Your forehead and cheeks are all warm. I think you might be coming down with a fever Siri."   
"Er, yea," and before Kally removed her hand from where it rested upon his cheeks, Sirius gently grasped the bottom of her palm and wrist, feeling her stiffen at his touch and seeing the frightened look in her eyes. "I think I'll live," he said huskily, surprising himself. He didn't think he could even say anything without stuttering but surprisingly he could and what he did say actually made sense.  
Kally must've sensed that the conversation was turning beyond the friendship line and yanked her hand out of Sirius' grasp flushing. "Good," she mumbled. "So, the dance was really great huh?" she said with false brightness, probably trying to cover up her embarrassment.  
"Yup," was all Sirius managed to say. "Heh, especially when half the school left with hair that looked like huge nests from the hairbloom," he added snickering.  
Kally snorted with laughter that erupted from deep in her throat. "Including Lucius and his posse!" With that, they both broke down in to stifled sniggers so that they wouldn't wake up anyone who was already asleep. Clutching her aching sides, Kally crawled off the couch where she was sitting next to Sirius and pulled herself right up in front of the warm crackling fire that was burning brightly in the heath and leaned back against the vibrantly coloured couch where Sirius was still seated. "That really was a good night for everyone, huh? Well," she hesitated, "Well, except for Samantha. Man, was she ever pissed off!" Sirius lifted himself off the couch and scrambled over to a nearby table, almost tripped over his dragging socks, then picking p two bottles of butterbeer, uncapping it and pouring the contents in to two large mugs, then brought it over to where Kally was seated and plopped himself down next to her.  
"She downed a whole bottle of mulled mead and even before we spiked that vomit wash punch with hairbloom, she was in a pretty bad mood already," Sirius said, handing Kally one of the mugs of butterbeer. "Poor Remus. He's so infatuated with the girl."  
Kally swirled around the butterbeer thinking seriously, with a slight frown on her face as she pulled up a wool blanket that she had brought with her before that had pictures of little cows grazing and wrapped it around her feet, bringing it up to her him and then throwing some of it over Sirius as well, like they had done when they were little kids and unconsciously, Sirius had pulled it over himself as well.  
"All, I've got to say is that the girl better treat him right or she'll answer to me." Tilting into Sirius fondly, Kally grinned and said, "I really appreciate what you said to Josh tonight. It meant a lot to me. If there's anything I hate more than smart girls who pretend to be stupid for affections, it's friends who fight each other over the affections of another."  
Sirius smiled back at Kally lopsidedly and drank his own butterbeer. "Remember when we were kids? The time in the woods just before we started going to Hogwarts." "You mean that time you pushed me off the swing and put a frog in my hair, then shoving me in a puddle of mud?" Kally asked, her cheeks flaming, getting more riled up by the minute. "Oh ho! I remember that day well! I got into so much trouble with Mom for ruining my new outfit and she wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to tell her that you pushed me and you just stood there listening to her bawl me out and you just laughed and laughed..." But before she started to scream louder, Sirius stopped her chuckled.  
"Heh, that was pretty funny and I'll bring that subject up another time but that wasn't what I was talking about," Sirius said sipping his drink some more and then continued seeing the puzzled look on Kally who had started to calm down, though her face was still rosy from anger. "I meant the pact we made. The promise. Um, just before I heaved you into the mud."  
A look of understand dawned on Kally's face as she remembered six years ago, a few days prior to their trip to Hogwarts school. She scrunched up her forehead in concentration focusing on her anxiety about going to Hogwarts for the first time. Confiding in Sirius about her fears about going to school and discovering that no one liked her. She recalled the sharp, fresh scent of pine as they strolled along the brook in the forest behind her huge house and the faint gurgling noise coming from the brook.  
"I'm afraid of school Siri," eleven-year old Kally murmured timidly. "What if no one likes me? What if I suck at magic?"  
"Oh come on Kals! You've always been good at magic when your Mom and Dad were teaching you some," a confident, and much shorter Sirius proclaimed, striding.  
"Yea but..." Kally protested.  
"What's the worst that could happen anyways?" Sirius asked, daring his mate to challenge him.  
Kally ducked her head, biting her lip before responding. "We could grow apart and stop being friends," she whispered. That comment took Sirius by surprise stopping him in his tracks, making him look like he was going to be sick, a look of fear passed over his face.  
"Could that ever happen? Is it possible? We've been friends ever since we met, at one years old. At my Mum's garden party," Sirius inquired softly.  
Reluctantly, Kally answered, "Who knows? School can ruin one's friendship you know." The walked in silence for a while and then rested upon some rocks by the brook.  
Looking up into Kally's violet eyes, Sirius said gravely, "I don't think I could even imagine not being your friend."  
"Neither could I," she replied quietly. "But what if your new friends don't like me and try and take my place as your bestest friend-girl?" The term 'friend-girl' was made up by the two because they refused to use the word 'girlfriend' because they both claimed it to sound too mushy.  
"No one could ever do that," Sirius said firmly.  
"But what if?" Sirius couldn't bear to see Kally looked so forlorn. She rarely ever looked unhappy.  
"Let's solemnly swear to always consider the other's feelings and to stay friends no matter who or what tries to come between us," Sirius declared excitedly. He extended his pinkie finger towards Kally for their secret handshake that would seal their friendship. They had decided that it would be their secret promise forever. Smiling, Kally reached out her own pinkie to intertwine it with Sirius' and then they touched the other's forehead with their own and wrinkled their noses. While still the awkward position, they both said at the same time, "Friends beyond life."  
Jolted back in to the present, Kally now found herself staring at the same familiar hazel eyes that she gazed at when she was eleven-years old. "I remember, "she said faintly. Her voice rising she added, "And then you pushed me into the mud right after!"  
"It was an accident," Sirius said laughing, trying to seem innocent.  
"Accident my foot! I remember your words exactly! It was, "Care for a trip?" and then you rammed me backwards," Kally accused, laughing herself at the memory of her all covered in mud, from head to foot.  
"Yea, but you got your revenge!"  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kally sniffed delicately.  
"You do too! You pretended that you broke your ankle and I started to cry and tried to help you out then you pulled me I too," Sirius said indignantly. "So don't pin this all on ME Missy!"  
"You started it!"  
"You'll never let this go will you?"  
"Nope," Kally said daintily, nose in the air.   
Coughing, Sirius took another swig of butterbeer and continued the point of the conversation. "Anyways, I promised to you that I would always consider your feelings and I never wanted to make you feel sad and I realized that what I did to josh was completely unacceptable and I just had to make it right."  
"Well, GOOD! Thank you," Kally said beaming.  
"Aren't you going to drink your butterbeer?" Sirius asked, seemingly innocent. Kally quirked a brow and looked at him suspiciously.  
"Why do you want me to drink this so much?" She questioned, gesturing to the drink in her hand.  
"Does there have to be a reason?"  
With a blank expression on her face, Kally retorted, "With you there always is. If there's nothing wrong with it, you drink it." Sirius protested continuously but finally gave in to Kally, like he usually did an with a wince on his face, he took the slighted sip from her mug and instantly, his hair puffed up like all the other victims of the punch spiked with hairbloom. Kally roared with laughter, elbowing Sirius in the ribs, tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. "Nothing wrong with it huh? She continued laughing till she turned blue in the face then slowly composed herself.  
"Are you quite done?" Sirius asked making a face at her.  
"Nope."  
"I'm never going to hear the and of this am I?" He said stating a fact more than asking a question.  
"Nope."  
"Thought so."   
"Now who has the last laugh hm?"  
"You do," Sirius admitted under his breath.  
Stretching, Kally got up and yawned. "I am dead beat Siri! I'm going to catch some zee's."  
"Right. Well, nighty night my bestest friend-girl," Sirius said, jokingly, regretful that she was going to sleep.  
Tottering off towards her room, Kally muttered to no one in particular, "What a perfect night."  
With a sad look on his face, Sirius added inaudibly, "Not quite perfect. Not quite. Close." With that, he hauled himself up to go to bed, patting his large, nest-like hair cautiously and grimacing. Just then, Kally jumped back out of her room, scaring the living daylights out of Sirius and blinding him with a flash of light.  
"Wha?"  
"Almost forgot to take a picture of you and your ridiculously absurd hairdo Siri my man. This one's for the scrapbook! I think I'll call it "Revenge of the Mud Princess," Kally chirped then popping back into her room.  
Cursing softly, Sirius padded up to his room and quietly shut the door ready for sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Aritez? Is this good? Cyaz chicas!  
~Kira Trinity aka Teri Ann  
  
  
  
  



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